The New Lenox Township Board of Trustees met Thursday, May 12, and discussed a new option for electronic recycling pickup.
The proposed Will County electronic recycling program would operate using two trucks scheduled for pickup between 5-7 p.m. on the second Thursday of every month.
As for the Township, the new service would come at no cost.
Township Supervisor Michael Hickey said he supports the new initiative and what it would aim to do.
“If we piece together more opportunities for people to go somewhere, it’s not ideal [but] I think it gives us an opportunity to have some sort of an option,” he said.
In February, the New Lenox facility hosting the electronic recycling program closed.
Hickey said it would’ve cost the Township an extra $50,000-100,000 to continue the same operation.
Trustee Martin Boban noted what happened when the last recycling program came to an end.
“We thought it would be worse than it was,” he said. “For a couple weeks, we had people dropping it. But, once the signage got posted, I think people realized, ‘it’s over.’”
The hope is that a new electronic recycling program will work for the benefit of the Township, without posing reason for concern that people will illegally drop off electronics, Hickey said.
The majority of board members expressed favor for the development of an intergovernmental agreement with Will County, which is to be considered at the Township’s meeting in July. The County Board is to review the agreement prior to that meeting.
Not every official was on board with the idea of launching the new program. Trustee Larry Wennland said the Township’s needs could be better served.
“I’d be opposed to it just because of the two-hour window,” he said. “There’s going to be nothing but complaints of people coming in at all other hours. It’s more grief than you need; it’s more grief than this Township needs.”
If approved, the new program would launch as early as July or August.
Round it up
A brief recap of Township Board action May 12
The Township awarded a $9,950 professional services contract to Bruns & Bruns for the auditing of fiscal year 2016 finances.
Trustees discussed whether or not the Township should participate in the New Lenox Property Tax Appeals Board Consortium. Officials came to a consensus deciding not to get involved.
Officials unanimously agreed to bid out parking lot asphalt repair work for the Township Office parking lot. The Board of Trustees will open the bids and discuss the matter further at their meeting in June.