City of Quincy forms committee to look at garbage/recycling pickup

7 months, 4 weeks ago by Bob Gough

Aging fleet has officials considering all options, including privatization of garbage collection

Quincy Mayor John Spring has formed a new committee to examine the city’s garbage and recycling pickup process.

At Monday’s Quincy City Council meeting, Spring said age of the city’s garbage and recycling fleet, with many of the trucks being 11 years old, is causing the city to look at its future.

The committee will look at possibly buying new trucks or consider outsourcing garbage pickup. The recycling contract has been extended for another year.

“We’re going to look at all of our options,” Spring said. “I’m supportive of the service we currently have, but the cost of maintaining the fleet is something we have to look at.”

In action at the meeting, aldermen confirmed the mayor’s appointment of the following people to the committee: Aldermen Steve Duesterhaus (D-2nd Ward and Chairman), Mike Farha, (R-4th Ward), Tony Sassen (R-4th Ward) and Dan Brink (R-6th Ward), Director of Administrative Services Gary Sparks, City Engineer Jeff Steinkamp, Corporation Counsel Andrew Staff and Interim Central Services Director Marty Stegeman.

Aldermen also approved a bid of $177,058 from Blick's Construction for a lime dust collection system at the water filtration plant and the hiring of  Towers Fire Apparatus for $4,120 to perform the annual maintenance on 60 air tanks and compressors.

The Council also approved closing the east end of the alley at Berrian School between Jackson and Van Buren and 8th to 9th streets from 11:10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday during the school year to allow students to safely access a playground area.

The Quincy Plan Commission will also review a request from Kirk Hess for a special permit to put a car lot at 907 S. 12th . after aldermen voted to send it to the commission. The property is currently zoned C1B.