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Maintaining the consistent effort to restore and enhance Elgin’s historic downtown area, the city has implemented a pilot program to address the current problematic state of its waste disposal.
Business owners and residential buildings have agreed to consolidate trash collection in alleyways to one or two isolated dumpsters, instead of the current overcrowded number of individual bins. This includes buildings along N. Avenue C and Main Street, stretching from Depot Avenue to Third Street.
Council members believe this is a step forward in transforming these alleyways into a space more accommodating for civilian use and public safety, with police being able to see down alleyways more clearly.
“This is a great example of cooperative effort in terms of our utilities department, waste management and the main street program all working together through the city,” said Community Services Director Amy Miller. “Ultimately, this should be a very successful way to manage trash downtown and improve those alleys, so they are the front door for folks, as well as a functional place for emergency vehicles.”
According to Miller, the project has already received uniform support from downtown storefronts.
Additionally, the effort aims to target the illegal dumping issue some business owners have been experiencing.
“People are just dumping their trash inconsiderately,” said vendor Robert Cabello, “I try to keep it tidy back there, I don’t want anyone tripping or falling.”
By consolidating trash pickup sites, it should encourage people to be more respectful with where they bring their garbage and recyclables, noted city speakers. Illegal dumping is inevitable, they added, but with less areas for it there may be less of an issue.
Placed on each block, business owners will be given a code for a combination lock set on receptacles. The lock will not interfere with waste management’s ability to do their job.
This will lead to reduced collection fees for those involved as well.
Restaurants will not be affected by this and will retain their own personal use units.
The council has done an analysis of how much trash people in the area are producing, and if the project goes well it will begin to expand and help clean up other alleys downtown, clearing up entranceways for homes and businesses alike.
