East Peoria is moving forward with a mandatory garbage-tote program starting next spring. Peoria Public Radio's Alex Rusciano reports the program aims to reduce costs and make city trash pick-up more efficient:
East Peoria would need to buy about 4,500 containers to implement the city-wide garbage tote collection program. But the city would make back the cost by selling residents the containers. The totes would be mechanically dumped in the back of a garbage truck compared to now, where employees manually lift garbage containers. Councilman Tim Jeffers says the program will give residents on specific routes deadlines to have a Toter in place:
“Right now nearly half of city residents have toters, so this will just allow us to pick up that last 50-percent in increments for sure, that by a certain date this certain route will have 100-percent. That will be expected of everybody in a positive way,” Jeffers says.
The Council votes to implement the mandatory toter program next month. The Council also approved an agreement with East Peoria High School District 309 for School Resource Officer services. The District will pay $70,000 towards the East Peoria officer’s annual salary.