By Jamie Olson
For decades, the Village of Bolingbrook has paid for our garbage service via funds obtained through our regular property tax bills and from the village’s general fund. That is why many Bolingbrook residents were caught off guard this past week when they received a letter in their mailboxes informing them that they will soon have to pay for garbage services in excess of $20/month without obtaining any relief on their taxes and without gaining the ability to utilize toters (garbage cans with wheels) instead of bags.
The leaders and core supporters of Bolingbrook United are upset by the mayor’s decision to make this change. While garbage reform has been an issue for some time, Bolingbrook United has never asked for nor wanted this solution. Not only does it fail to solve our garbage issues; it hurts our residents by adding additional unnecessary costs. As it stands, residents will now have to pay an extra $200 plus dollars a year in order to have basically the same garbage services that they currently have. The mayor’s current idea of trash reform is more like a trash debacle. We are now going to be paying another bill sent to us by the village, and we still aren’t allowed to use garbage toters.
Even when it comes to recyclables, the mayor has solely offered up lids for the bins to prevent items from blowing out and around the neighborhood. Those lids are only practical if you have minimal recyclables. Most recyclable bins that I see on trash day are overflowing so much that a lid will not fit.
The mayor has also said that Groot will provide larger recycling bins with a cover for people to rent. Nonetheless, when Groot was asked about this, they said they do not do that.
Over a year ago, Mayor Claar had what we refer to as the “garbage summit,” which was basically a meeting where residents were invited to hear his one-sided presentation about the con’s of garbage toters. He showed silly videos and pictures which misrepresented the use of toters, which a substantial majority of surrounding communities use. The meeting was video recorded and can be viewed on YouTube.
Despite the representations by the mayor, it was apparent that a majority of residents wanted garbage toters as an option. The key word is option. Residents wanted options.
It was also confirmed during this meeting that everyone could be accommodated by our current refuse company. Groot has the ability to pick up garbage in both toters and bags. Thus, no one has to be forced to select an option they do not want.
Garbage is not a complicated issue. We have it and we need to have it picked up and disposed of. What the debate is truly about is how it gets picked up and what the neighborhood looks like after trash day.
The Mayor wants all the streets to look clean and show no signs of garbage cans anywhere in sight. In fact, Municipal Code is written to prevent garbage cans in front, on the side, or even in your own back yard. He has said on numerous occasions that he believes garbage cans are unsightly.
Bolingbrook United believes that trash blowing around our neighborhoods is more of a problem and unsightlier than garbage cans. On windy days, which are prevalent in the Village, recycle bins sometimes get emptied even before the Groot Truck arrives. Recyclables are blown down streets and litter our yards. In addition, animals get into garbage bags and, as a result, trash ends up in yards, roads and fields. How is this a good thing?
Logical, common sense solutions are available with some compromise from Village Hall. Unfortunately, that willingness to compromise has not been forthcoming. During the election, Sheldon Watts, Mary Basta and Michael Carpanzao echoed the Mayor’s excuse that change cannot happen overnight and that we need to take baby steps to solve our trash issues. That explanation is hogwash! Baby steps are not needed and we can reform garbage today if the powers that be actually wanted to change. But therein lies the problem; the Mayor and his trustees do not want to change the way Bolingbrook handles their trash.
Since the mayor’s formal announcement last week, we have seen some of the mayor’s supporters blame Bolingbrook United for the mayor’s trash debacle. We want to be clear, this is Mayor Claar and First Party for Bolingbrook/Bolingbrook First Party’s idea. Bolingbrook United has never suggested that the cost of refuse pickup be switched to an independent billing system. Any claims that Bolingbrook United caused this change are absurd. We at no time argued for or proposed individual billing or for the amounts paid for refuse service to be pulled from our property tax bill. All we wanted was the option to use toters.
The justification from the mayor and his Village Board members for this change is that this billing system is more “equitable” as all residents will be charged an equal amount for refuse service (approximately $22/month), opposed to it being part of property taxes which results in those who pay more in taxes paying a larger amount for service. The reality is that while those whose homes that are worth more will theoretically benefit from this change, those who live in more modest homes will be severely impacted by the change. Many of those who will be impacted are also less affluent or those who live on fixed income. Make no mistake about it, some of these people will be dramatically impacted by this change.
We are hoping that this reasoning to fairly spread the tax does not catch on with our school board. If they decide to tax equally to pay for schools, most middle and lower-class families will be financially devastated. When you purchase a home, you look at the total cost of the home. The home price and what are the total property taxes on the piece of property you are buying. Rarely will a potential buyer ask, out of those $10K in annual taxes, how much of that go towards garbage compared to my neighbor. You don’t care. When all is said and done, can you afford the mortgage, tax and insurance? If the answer is yes, you buy the home. If the answer is no, you start searching for a more affordable home.
In reality, the people who own the bigger, more luxurious homes pay a larger portion of all the taxes for all the village programs. It’s not just garbage. They pay a larger share to cover the police and fire cost, a larger share for public works, etc.
The problems don’t stop there. Thus far, the village has enacted no ordinance to address this billing change or determine what will occur when some resident refuses to pay a bill. From what we can tell thus far the village currently has no legal authority to fine residents or to force them to pay this bill. What if you own two pieces of property and want to opt out on one and take all your trash to the second piece of property? Is that allowed? There are numerous situations that need to be considered and all have been just swept under the rug.
We are incredibly dismayed by the lack of transparency by our mayor, who claims to be a champion of transparency. On multiple prior occasions Bolingbrook Village Trustee Bob Jaskiewicz, a member of the Bolingbrook United party, has asked for updates on the plans for refuse service and that it be placed on the agenda. Each time the mayor has refused to provide open substantive discussion on the topic or to include it on a trustee board meeting agenda. Trustee Jaskiewicz has requested in writing, once again, that this matter be placed on the agenda for the Trustee Board meeting scheduled for May 14, 2019 that will be held at the Village Hall starting at 8 pm.
It is also very shortsighted for the mayor to want to keep our refuse pick up the way it was when Bolingbrook first became a Village. Why do the majority of all the other surrounding towns, using the same company to service them, provide options to their residents?
In short, the Mayor’s changes to garbage collection stink. We encourage residents to be vocal in opposition to these measures and remember this garbage debacle when you go out to vote in 2021.
NOTE: Article written by Joe Giamanco, Bob Jaskiewicz and Jaime Olson
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