The village board OK’d a contract last week, which keeps the same garbage collection firm in Oak Park for at least another five years.
With the new agreement, Waste Management, which collects garbage for single-family homes and smaller apartment buildings, is offering a couple of new perks. Those include rolling out 10 solar-powered trash compactors to the public, and upping the size of recycling containers by an additional 32 gallons.
Waste Management has been hauling trash for the village since 1998, and its current contract was set to expire at the end of this year. Trustees decided to stick with the Houston-based company rather than seeking competitive bids because they believe Oak Park is receiving a “hometown discount,” and residents seem to be pleased with their service.
The new contract calls for a 13.4 percent rate increase in the first year, followed by annual rate increases over the next four years that are tied to the consumer price index, but are capped at 4 percent. Trustee John Hedges voted against the renewal because he thinks Oak Park should have tested the market first.