Bloomington City Council debates bulk waste collection services

Image courtesy of the City of Bloomington 

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Bloomington City Council met Monday, Dec. 8, and opened its meeting with new committee appointments before turning to union remarks and a lengthy debate over proposed changes to the city’s bulk waste collection services.

During public comment, AFSCME Council 31 staff representative Renee Nestler spoke on behalf of AFSCME Local 699, which represents public works and parks employees. Nestler told the council that union members had ratified the tentative agreement presented to them and urged the city to finalize it.

“Collectively, we worked very hard to come to an agreement,” said Nestler, noting the union and city had resolved differences regarding temporary employee transfers.

Nestler also addressed proposed changes to bulk waste services, praising some reforms but objecting to closing the Citizens Convenience Center (CCC) to bulk waste drop-offs.

“Keeping the CCC open for citizen use would allow citizens to have the ability to make drop offs without incurring costs for large pickups,” said Nestler.

Nestler encouraged the city to restore pre-2018 policies allowing residents with construction permits to dispose of their own debris at the CCC.

The council considered an ordinance revising Chapter 21 of the city code to restructure bulk waste collection. Deputy City Manager Sue McLaughlin outlined the plan, which would close the Citizens Convenience Center for bulk waste, reinstate free curbside pickup for one bucket load, apply escalating fees for additional bucket loads, redirect staff time toward street sweeping and discourage contractor and landlord misuse of the CCC.

McLaughlin said that despite the CCC’s creation in 2018, usage patterns show little change in the total tonnage collected. McLaughlin noted that tipping fees have risen by 9% over the past two years while bucket charges have remained the same since 2009.

“Our disposal costs have not really changed,” McLaughlin said. “The tonnage that we’re collecting at the center, the residents are subsidizing that.”

Director of Public Works Rickey Mose added that past leaders believed the CCC would improve efficiency but acknowledged that many residents still prefer curbside service.

Council member Michael Straza asked for background on the 2018 shift. Staff explained that a prior director believed the CCC model would be a more efficient way to keep the streets clean, though staff said results did not meet expectations.

Council Member Sheila Montney questioned the lack of a comprehensive financial analysis supporting the new proposal, referencing the same issue during the CCC’s creation.

“One of the reasons that I bring this forward is because here we are in 2018, the hypothesis was to address abuse from landlord’s and contractors’ curbside,” Montney said. “Here we are a few years later and the hypothesis for this change is the same as it was shared with us in the three-on-one.”

Montney raised concerns about rising costs to residents, stating that the fees are regressive in terms of their distribution across the city.

Council member Michael Mosley agreed that future proposals should include cost avoidance analysis and asked staff to clarify how contractor misuse would be prevented.

“We need to hold them accountable rather than changing what could be a more efficient service for the mass,” Mosley said.

Council member Mollie Ward supported returning to curbside service but questioned whether low bucket fees for homeowners hiring contractors might undermine the city’s goal of reducing contractor abuse.

“It seems like that’s a disincentive to get a dumpster,” Ward said, suggesting that building permits could help identify contractor work. Ward proposed adding monitoring requirements so that the city can evaluate whether the new system meets its goals.

The Bloomington City Council meets every second and fourth Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m.