FACTS YOU NEVER KNEW FROM ANY REPORT OF LOCAL MEDIA ON THE ISSUE

7 YEARS AGO, A RECYCLING COMPANY CAME TO THE SPRINGFIELD BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMAN PROPOSING TO COLLECT PAPER, PLASTIC, AND METAL… BUT NO GLASS.

THEY WANTED THE CITY TO PAY THEM FOR THIS SERVICE. THIS WOULD REQUIRE A NEW FEE ON ALL UTILITY BILLS.
THE BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMEN VOTED IT DOWN.
THEY CAME BACK AGAIN, BUT WITH A LOWER COST PROPOSED.
VOTED DOWN AGAIN.
THEY CAME BACK A 3^RD PLEASE LET US PROVIDE THE SERVICE TO ALLOW CUSTOMERS TO PLACE OUR CONTAINERS WE PROVIDE ON THE CITY RIGHT OF WAY AND WE CAN LEGALLY STOP IN THE STREET AND COLLECT THEM WITH NO COST TO THE CITY.
NO PROBLEM. THE BOARD VOTED TO ALLOW THIS WITH THE ASSURANCE TO A QUESTION THAT I ASKED… THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE BACK TO ASK CITY FOR FUNDING IF SUBSCRIPTIONS WERE LESS THAN JUSTIFIABLE TO SERVE THE AREA. THEY AGREED. NO FUNDING WILL BE REQUIRED FROM CITY.
AFTER A FEW YEARS THEY CAME BACK SAYING THAT THEY COULD NOT CONTINUE SERVING THE AREA UNLESS THE CITY AGREES TO A UNIVERSAL SUBSIDIZED PROGRAM.
WHEN ASKED, HOW HAD THEY ADVERTISED AND MARKETED THEIR SERVICE? THEY SAID, SOME DOOR TO DOOR AND CREDITS TO CUSTOMERS FOR A REFERAL.
NOW THEY WANT THE CITY AND COUNTY TO PAY THEM A FEE AND PROPOSED A STUDY OF 300 HOMES IN A ZONE FOR 3 MONTHS ( AT A COST OF ABOUT $60,000 ) BETWEEN CERTAIN NORTH SPRINGFIELD STREETS THAT COST THE CITY AND COUNTY (WHO THE COMPANY NOW GOT TO INVOLVE THEMSELVES).

STUDY CHEAT NOTABLE: SOME PEOPLE NOT IN “THIS ZONE” WHO WAS PAYING FOR THE SERVICE BUT NOT IN THE STUDY WANTED THEIR STUFF ADDED TO MAKE THE COLLECTION HIGHER AND THE MAYOR TOLD THEM TO GO OVER THERE AND GET THAT TOO. (WEST SIDE OF GARNER STREET).

IN CASE YOU DID NOT KNOW, THE CITY FEE FOR SANITATION YOU PAY TODAY IS FOR THE MEN AND TRUCK TO COLLECT THE GARBAGE. NOT THE DISPOSAL. THAT IS PAID FOR BY THE COUNTY FROM PROPERTY AND SALES TAX. SO, IT WOULD BE NO MEASURABLE SAVING TO THE CITY TO SUBSIDIZE.

WHEN I ASKED, ABOUT THE STUDY, WHAT WOULD BE A SUCCESSFUL MEASURE OF MATERIAL COLLECTED TO CLAIM SUCCESS OR FAILURE. THERE WAS NONE. SO, WE ARE JUST GOING TO DO A STUDY FOR THE SAKE OF DOING A STUDY WITH NO MEASURABLE POINT OF CLAIMING IT WAS GOOD OR BAD? YES, I WAS TOLD. AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
AT THE END OF 3 MONTHS WE COLLECTED ABOUT 2 TRUCKS OF RECYLCABLES @ A COST OF ABOUT $3000 PER TON BASED ON COST OF STUDY. IT COST $50 PER TON TO LANDFILL.
BUT SOME ON THE CITY BOARD STILL WANTED TO PLACE A FEE ON YOUR BILL TO PAY FOR THIS KNOWING THE HIGH COST AND NO SAVINGS TO CITY, REMEMBER, CITY DOES NOT PAY FOR DISPOSAL, ONLY COLLECTION.

THE COMPANY CAME BACK… YEAH! STUDY A SUCCESS! LET’S WORK A DEAL!! THEY PROPOSED AN $8.00 FEE THEY WOULD CHARGE CUSTOMER DIRECTLY AND $8.00 THE CITY WOULD SUBSIDIZE THEM FOR EACH CUSTOMER THEY COULD GET TO SIGN UP.

SO, AS YOUR ALDERMAN AND KNOWLEDGE OF THIS MATTER, I REMINDED THEM OF WHEN THEY STARTED YEARS AGO (IT WAS THE SAME REPRESENTATIVE) SAYING THIS WOULD BE NO COST TO THE CITY AND MADE AN ADMENDMENT TO THE COMPANIES PROPOSAL……

NO CITY SUBSIDY (THAT WOULD REQUIRE A NEW FEE).
THE CITY WOULD MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE CUSTOMER AND THE COMPANY TO ALLOW SIGN UP AT CITY HALL FOR THE NEW SERVICE.
PLACE FEE THE COMPANY CHARGES ON THE UTILITY BILL AND WE WILL PAY THE COMPANY WITH ONE CHECK EACH MONTH
THE CITY WILL PROVIDE THE CARTS INSTEAD OF THE COMPANY RENTING TO CUSTOMERS. (THAT WAY, IF WE CHANGE COMPANYS WHO WE ALLOW TO COLLECT, THE CART ARE OURS. NO DISRUPTION OF SERVICE AND WE CAN BUY CART CHEAPER THAN THE COMPANY COULD)

THE ADMENDMENT PASSED 4 TO 3. WOW! THAT WAS A GOOD DEAL FOR THE CITY RESIDENTS. BUT, 3 VOTED NO. MAYOR SCHNEIDER, ALDERMAN HARRIS AND TROTTER

ALDERMAN SNEED REALLY CAME THROUGH ON THAT, RIGHT?

WELL, NEXT THE CITY HAD TO VOTE ON THE MAIN MOTION TO APPROVE THE WHOLE THING

AGAIN. PASSED 4 TO 3 THE SAME WAY. THE MAYOR AND TWO ALDERMEN VOTED AGAINST RECYCLING.

SEEING THE ERROR OF THE VOTE AND HOW EMBARRASSING THIS COULD BE, THE MAYOR HAD THE SAME MEASURE, THAT JUST PASSED AND NEEDED NO FURTHUR ACTION, PLACED ON THE NEXT MONTHS MEETING TO VOTE ON THE EXACT SAME BILL AGAIN TO FIX THEIR VOTING RECORD. I HAVE NEVER IN ALL OF MY 20 YEARS ON THE BOARD SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

WHAT KIND OF LEADERSHIP DO YOU WANT?

RE-ELECT SNEED ALDERMAN WARD 6

HE DOESN’T HAVE TO FIX HIS VOTING RECORD