McHenry not ready to give up on trash stickers, leaf-vacuuming – but fewer haulers still offer services

McHenry’s City Council indicated they are not ready to do away with per-bag garbage collection stickers, or curbside leaf vacuuming programs.

Instead, they want to ask the seven or eight garbage haulers that operate in the area for proposals and to bid those two programs as possible add-ons before deciding their fates.

The council met in special session Monday night, prior to the regular meeting, to talk trash. McHenry’s contract with hauler Flood Brothers ends in July 2027, and the city can either renegotiate that contract for another five years, or go out to bid for a new contract, Public Works Director Russ Adams said.

“It is not a popular decision, but I think the sticker thing has to die.”

—  7th Ward Alderwoman Sue Miller

McHenry residents get their garbage bills quarterly, directly from the contracted company. Residents must set up their service with the trash hauler. Residents also can rent 35-, 65- or 95-gallon wheeled totes from Flood Brothers, or pay per bag of trash. Recycling bins are available at no additional charge.

The last time McHenry went to bid for garbage hauling services, its requirements for consideration included per-bag stickers and curbside leaf vacuuming. Only two companies bid for McHenry’s waste contract in 2022.

Algonquin saw the same problem earlier this year, joining Woodstock and Marengo as towns that moved to wheeled totes instead of per-bag stickers recently because they could not get bids from haulers.

Seventh Ward Alderwoman Sue Miller said she became well-versed in trash as the council’s representative in those negotiations four years ago.

“We are one of the few that still offer a sticker program,” Miller said. She asked AI for help describing why, Miller said, and it told her “it is labor-intensive, it is a liability and a risk” to have workers pick up bags, rather than the garbage truck’s automated arm do the work. Those arms often crush resident garbage cans and rip bags open, she added.

“It is not a popular decision, but I think the sticker thing has to die,” Miller said.

The current per-sticker rate is increasing, according to the city of McHenry website. As of Aug. 1, the refuse sticker will increase by 5 cents to $3.35 each. Stickers purchased prior to that date can still be used later, and are available at City Hall and participating retailers.

As far as leaf vacuuming, Adams said several haulers cited that program as one reason it did not bid for McHenry’s work.

The Flood Brothers contract now allows free, unlimited yard waste pickup year-round, and also rents totes for yard waste. Council members wanted to see that continue.

Alderman Andy Glab, 2nd Ward, said leaf vacuuming started around 2000 as an alternative to burning leaves. If waste haulers do not want to vacuum the leaves, McHenry could look at the cost of providing the service itself, Glab said.

That has an estimated cost of $200,000 a year, according to Adams.

Once trash haulers provide proposals for the city with those two items as add-ons his staff will bring them back to council for consideration, Adams said.