A new garbage collection contract has sparked frustration among some Marengo residents who claim the changes were poorly communicated and fail to consider diverse needs.
The new program, which began Oct. 1, comes with a $23 monthly fee with no senior discount and no options for smaller, lower-priced totes, as opposed to the large garbage bins. The previous cost was $21.40 a month, and residents had the option of a sticker program that allowed them to pay per bag, a method many resident, including seniors, preferred for its flexibility.
Residents received notification letters on Nov. 1, with new garbage bins appearing days later and bills following shortly after. Several say the rollout was abrupt and lacking in transparency.
“They really messed up. That’s what it boils down to,” said Deena Hohlstein, 76, who has lived in her Marengo home for 18 years. “I’ve talked to so many seniors. We’re all in the same boat. We’re all on a fixed income.”
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Hohlstein said she received a bill for two months of service that she does not intend to pay. She has never used the city’s garbage pickup service. Instead, she has recycled and relied on family to dispose of her garbage.
“Now I have these big bins I didn’t ask for,” she said. “I’m not paying for a service I don’t want.”
Residents have expressed their concerns over the contract at the past several City Council meetings, including Tuesday night’s meeting. The city council’s Sept. 23 meeting – the date the new garbage contract narrowly was approved by a vote of 4-3 – drew a standing-room only crowd.
On Tuesday, Marengo City Manager Nick Radcliffe told residents talks are ongoing with garbage hauler MDC Environmental Services to explore senior discounts, smaller tote sizes and seasonal hold options for residents who travel to other places for long periods. He emphasized that MDC has been Marengo’s waste hauler for more than 40 years and offered the most competitive rates.
The frustration in Marengo was amplified by news that neighboring Woodstock had secured a senior discount and smaller bin options in its recent contract renewal with MDC after similar concerned were raised about moving to mandatory totes. Radcliffe noted that Woodstock has additional revenue streams to subsidize the discount, a luxury Marengo does not have. Still, he remains hopeful that ongoing negotiations with MDC will yield better options for Marengo residents.
“Of course, these things are going to take some time. MDC is going to be putting together alternate proposals to bring back to the city council,” he said. He told non-senior residents to expect a jump in rates as a result of changes to the contract.
“Essentially, the senior rate will increase everyone’s rate,” Radcliffe said. “We’re kind of at [MDC’s] mercy right now. We plan on checking back in with them on a weekly basis. ... It’s going to take them some time to calculate numbers and look at their data. At least the conversations have begun.”
Addressing residents’ concerns about a lack of communication, Radcliffe said the garbage issue was brought up during city council meetings throughout the summer.
“It wasn’t a secret, but we also could definitely improve our communication efforts to the residents,” he said.
City leaders have told residents to reach out to MDC on their own to refuse service and to have their bins picked up, but several residents said they have received mixed responses from MDC or have been unable to reach anyone directly.
“What we’re basically telling residents is to try their best to get a hold of MDC,” Radcliffe sad. “There were quite a few to have their bins picked up. I just don’t know if every resident is having that same luck.”
Radcliffe explained that Marengo’s new contract mirrors regional trends as waste haulers shift to automated systems. He also cited ongoing efforts among McHenry County municipalities to negotiate better terms collectively.
“It’s not just Marengo,” Radcliffe said. “Other communities are facing similar transitions as haulers move away from sticker programs.”
Still, seniors, many on fixed incomes, are particularly feeling the pinch. Several said they preferred the sticker program for its flexibility.
“The seniors are the ones really getting the shaft,” said Marengo resident Rita Grubb, 80. “To me, the communication is terrible.”
For Hohlstein, dragging the large garbage bins to the curb is physically challenging. Others question the fairness of mandatory fees.
“No options, period. I mean that’s really what it boils down to,” said Jodene Wagley, the owner of Day Dream Tanning in Marengo. Small business owners like her, with dumpsters at their businesses, do not want to pay for garbage service at their homes, she said.
“This one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work,” Wagley said. “They sent me a bill, and I don’t even have bins. Why am I paying for a service I’ve never had? I already paid for two dumpsters, $400 a month. It’s just as easy for me to grab my kitchen bag and drop it off at work.”