The city and county won't immediately explore workaround options for trash after opening talks with GFL on Landfill 3 last week.
GFL's predecessor company, Peoria Disposal Company, entered into a contract to construct the new landfill in 2009. But numerous delays in that process mean the current landfill is set to fill up before the new one can open.
City manager Patrick Urich said city, county, and landfill committee officials met with GFL leadership on May 8, weeks after the company was served a breach of contract notice by the Peoria County State's Attorney's Office.
"It was a very positive and productive meeting that we had with GFL, where the CEO made it very clear to us that they intend to honor their contracts that they have with the city an the county and the landfill committee with regards to all of the financial benefits that are included in the contract," Urich said.
Urich said that included a committment that GFL will honor the gate rate of $57 a ton in the agreement, a significant savings from the more than $90 a ton Waste Management is currently paid at Landfill 2. The city manager did say the company wants to wait until its Indian Creek landfill in Hopedale is full before constructing Landfill 3.
Landfill 2 is set to fill up by the end of the year, while Landfill 3's opening is currently two to three years out. Until that construction happens, Urich said either a transfer station would be needed to get Peoria's trash to Tazewell County until it opens, or there would need to be a discussion about delaying Landfill 3's construction until Indian Creek is full.
At-large councilmember Mike Vespa said he's encouraged by the news, but also skeptical.
"I don't think it's ironic that at the 11th hour, though, they're coming to the table, and I am concerned that this could be just another stalling tactic," he said.
Urich requested a one month deferral on further moves as talks continue. The county board similarly put off action last week.
Peoria police to deploy more camera trailers
Out with the Armadillos, in with the camera trailers.
The Peoria City Council will spend $82,500 in grant funds from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to outfit five box trailers with the equipment for camera surveillance.
Peoria Police Chief Eric Echevarria said the old Armadillos are in a state of disrepair. One camera trailer is already outfitted and out on the streets.
"We had two Armadillos...and the amount of requests we would get for them, we didn't have enough of them," he said. "So now we'll have, instead of having two, we will have six trailers that we can deploy at six different locations, on top of the other smaller trailers that we already have."
Echevarria says the trailers are a visual crime deterrent requested by neighborhood groups or others.
