St. Charles ends spring cleanup
By ASHLEY RHODEBECK
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arhodebeck@kcchronicle.com
ST. CHARLES – Residents will no longer have the spring cleanup program to rid their homes of unwanted items.
The St. Charles City Council voted 8-1 Monday to discontinue it. Alderman Jim Martin, of the fourth ward, was the opposing vote. Ed Bessner was absent.
“I’m sure there will be some residents who may be upset,” said John Lamb, city environmental services manager. “We wanted to give everyone plenty of notice.”
Spring cleanup let residents put materials from their homes at the curb for landfill collection without incurring extra charges for large items, such as furniture. On other days, they had to purchase a $2.47 refuse sticker to dispose of big pieces, Lamb said.
Homeowners contributed to the program’s cost, but the city paid for the bulk of the expense, Lamb said.
The city expects a savings of at least $120,000 by ending it.
About 20 to 30 percent of residents participated in the spring cleanup.
Budgetary and environmental reasons factored into the city’s decision to end the program, Lamb said. A lot of the disposed materials were recyclable, such as TVs and computers.
“All sorts of electronics can be and should be recycled,” Lamb said.
Other problems with the cleanup included participants discarding prohibited items, people collecting waste throughout the year and residents letting their friends and relatives add to the pile.
The city council noted nothing would bar it from reinstating the program in the future.
Contact the Public Works Department at 630-377-4405 or visit the city’s Web site at www.stcharlesil.gov for more information.
Alternatives for disposing materials
• Veolia pick-up: Charges $20 per cubic yard of materials.
• Veolia drop-off: Transfer station at 766 Hunter St., Batavia. Fee is $87 for up to a ton of materials. Call 630-879-3587.
• City of St. Charles recycling collection: Veolia will pick up large items at the curb throughout the year if there is a sticker on them.
• Kane County electronic and book recycling days: Takes place monthly from 8 a.m. to noon on Fridays and Saturdays. Items accepted include computers, TVs, entertainment equipment and books.
• Salvation Army: The Chicago office will arrange to pick up items, including furniture in good condition. Call 312-738-4360.
• Household hazardous waste drop-off: Naperville Fire Station No. 4, 1979 Brookdale Road.
• Goodwill: 450 N. Randall Road, Batavia, and 260 Randall Road, South Elgin. They are drop-off locations only.
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