Residents across 5 cities report issues with Republic garbage pickup; La Salle may make decision on company Monday

It’s the No. 1 complaint at City Hall.

—  La Salle Deputy Clerk Brent Bader said about garbage pickup

Seneca resident Carrie Crowell Weinreich said she found maggots in her trash once after it didn’t get picked up for four days.

Weinreich said missed pickups have been an issue for her since her service was transferred to Republic Services after it purchased River City.

Weinreich is not the only Illinois Valley resident reporting issues of missed pickups. Residents serviced by Republic Services, a popular garbage collection company in the area, report missed trash pickups varying from a day late to two or three weeks without service.

According to a statement from Republic, the company is experiencing some service delays.

“Many industries are facing staffing challenges at this time, and the environmental services industry is no different,” according to the statement. “We are proud to serve the [Illinois Valley] community, and we thank them for their patience during this time.”

Fatigued from Republic’s response, the delays have left Illinois Valley residents disgruntled and seeking a solution.

The city of Seneca does not have a contract with Republic Services, meaning it’s up to the individual resident to choose a garbage service. Marseilles and Ottawa also don’t have a garbage contract, leaving its residents to enter into their own contracts as well.

The city of La Salle has a contract with Republic, however, for its residents — and residents will be watching Monday to see if the city retains Republic’s services, despite a number of recorded issues.

The La Salle City Council will review, discuss and take potential action for proposal of a new garbage contract at its regular meeting 6:30 p.m. Monday at the City Council Chambers, 745 Second St.

La Salle Deputy Clerk Brent Bader said the city has had numerous issues with missed pickups. Bader said it varies often; one week the city might receive as many as 50 calls and the next there will be only a few.

“It’s the No. 1 complaint at City Hall,” Bader said.

Bader said the city keeps a spreadsheet of every missed pickup and tracks it to make sure it’s resolved for the resident. Bader and Finance Director John Duncan used to have weekly Friday calls with Republic regarding the missed pickup calls from that week, trying to solve the issue, but this have since stopped.

La Salle’s contract expires with Republic on Feb. 1 and the city has three bids it’s considering. But no matter which contract it chooses, Duncan said there will be a clause that defines an acceptable amount of missed pickups per week according to the industry standard, and it will state that the contract can’t be transferred without city approval in the event of a company merger.

Seneca does not deal with missed garbage complaints, instead telling residents to call the Republic Services customer service line.

Marseilles Mayor Jim Hollenbeck said he personally had issues with his service being picked up a day late, which he says isn’t a huge concern. But when people call the city without a pickup for two to three weeks, that’s when it becomes an issue, Hollenbeck said.

On July 6, a representative from Republic attended a Marseilles City Council meeting to try to resolve the issue. At that meeting, Jim Pozzi said a lack of drivers is the cause of delays, especially after Republic purchased River City and took its contracts earlier this year. Hollenbeck said the city wants to sign a garbage contract next year to make fees cheaper for residents and to have fewer trucks driving around.

In Ottawa, high garbage truck traffic also is a concern. Republic and several other garbage companies service the city. Ottawa Mayor Daniel Aussem said there are four garbage trucks that travel down just his alley.

Aussem said there’s an added complication of garbage truck drivers not knowing which houses pay for which garbage service, making pickups more complicated and increasing the risk of missed pickups.

“It’s one of the basic services people expect to take care of and it’s frustrating when it doesn’t get done,” Aussem said.

The cities of La Salle, Ogelsby, Spring Valley and Peru, all have a 10-year contract with Republic.

Oglesby Mayor Dominic Rivara said Republic has been quick to resolve issues with the city. If a pickup doesn’t happen, Rivara said the company often is able to coordinate and get it picked up the next day. Spring Valley City Clerk Becky Hansen said the city gets the occasional missed pickup call, but it’s usually quickly resolved.

On July 18, Andrew Ebener, Spring Valley city attorney, wrote a letter to Republic Services citing a breach of contract. The Spring Valley City Council expressed concerns Republic is changing the pickup route for all residents to one day a week. Ebener said Republic violated its contract by not giving residents a sufficient mail notice, which may cause confusion and a flood of complaints.

On Aug. 16, the new pickup route started. Although Ebener said Republic promised no issues, he said there’s been nothing but problems since the change.

Similar to other communities, Peru City Clerk Dave Bartley said the city has had complaints at City Hall about missed pickups, varying from one to two calls per week to as many as 10 calls a day. Mayor Ken Kolowski said there have been fewer calls the past few weeks.

“It’s a battle and we understand they have labor issues,” Kolowski said. “I believe they’re doing the best they can.”

If La Salle’s council votes Monday or in the near future to have another garbage company haul its residents’ waste, it could breed more competition in the Illinois Valley. That could also help residents like Crowell, who are on their own when it comes to setting up their garbage contract.