City Council will move forward with a new waste removal contract that will include expanded recycling and a pilot program for composting in the community.

The city’s current waste removal agreement is with Waste Management. The city opened the new contract up for bidding in early February, and Waste Management was the lowest bidder at $17.15 per household, a 70-cent increase from the current rate of $16.45. The increase will pay for larger recycling bins with lids and services for the DeKalb Park District.

Fifth ward alderman Ron Naylor suggested having the city absorb some waste removal cost so residents in single-family homes aren’t burdened with the cost of Park District trash removal or the receptacles placed throughout the city.

The new contract will also include a new coupon rewards program for customers who recycle.

“The more you recycle, you get points built up in your account…,” said Matt Hernandez, who works for Waste Management in Public Sector Marketing. “As those points build up, you can use those points for various things–a percentage off on certain coupons for restaurants, two for one for certain things–and there are many, many vendors that you can choose from.”

Naylor said it is unfair the 8,700 houses in the city paying for the Waste Management services are also paying for services used by individuals who aren’t Waste Management customers. Naylor suggested the additional services, which he estimated to total between $70,000 and $100,000, be taken out of the city’s general fund or be paid for by real estate tax so all residents will play a part in paying for these community services. This would bring the monthly fee for users down to $16.35.

“All of these other services are looked upon as being free as a part of the contractor getting the residential pickup, and they can provide all these other so-called free programs, which are street sweeping disposal, leaf collection disposal, property maintenance clean up services, collection of public bins, city hall, city annex, city airport, water, fire stations, all of that, and now we’re even adding Park District facilities…,” Naylor said. “In reality, they’re not free.”

Council approved the purchase of antennas costing $38,173.96 to top the communications tower at the new police station, which will be funded by the $12 million police station budget.

The council also awarded Knutson Lawn Care a bid of $23,500 for cul-de-sac maintenance around the city. This maintenance mainly consists of the mowing of 24 cul-de-sac islands in DeKalb. This bid is a $5 per hour decrease from the current cost of $30 per hour. The newly established special service area in the Heartland subdivision will likely be maintained at the same price.

The city’s two TIF districts were amended so as not to include properties of current council members and council members-elect. This is a standard part of TIF regulation, but it is not widely followed,said city attorney Dean Frieders.

In Committee of the Whole, the council voted to move forward with considerations of TIF forgivable loans to DeKalb residents Bill McMahon and John Pappas, who are both looking to develop existing properties for different businesses. The council will also look at the possibility of transferring TIF funds previously used to fund Re:New DeKalb events to the Chamber of Commerce to continue these events. The original request was for $45,000, but it was reduced to $25,000 at the recommendation of fourth ward alderman Brendon Gallagher.

The regular meeting came to a close with a series of farewells to the three council members whose last City Council meeting was Monday. Second ward alderman Tom Teresinski, Gallagher and Mayor Kris Povlsen served their last regular meeting. Various council and city staff members said the members would be missed, noting Teresinski’s and Gallagher’s contributions to the city’s financial improvements and Povlsen’s leadership and patience.