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DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — At Monday night’s meeting, the Decatur City Council finalized and approved a new universal yard waste collection program for city residents.
Previously, garbage haulers were able to set their own prices for yard waste pickup, and collection services took place for only six weeks in the spring and the fall. After some discussion between using either a universal service or a premium program, city officials ultimately settled on the universal yard waste collection plan.
Yard waste pickup will now occur weekly from March 1 through December 15. In January and February, there will be one pickup per month at a time determined by the hauler. A common monthly fee of $3.25 will be applied to all customers on top of standard hauler garbage bills.
City officials said customers cannot opt out of the yard waste collection fee. Basic waste collection will now total $26.75 a month, or $53.50 for bi-monthly payments. Expanded collection services will cost $37.75 monthly and $75.50 bi-monthly.
Those who paid for the premium pickup program will receive credit from their hauler, city officials said.
The Decatur City Council cited lower costs, less illegal dumping, and less confusion as reasons for establishing the universal service. They also said that weather in Central Illinois can be erratic year-round, and so a consistent yard waste collection may prove beneficial for locals.
