2018/03/05 - Mayor's Column: Spring Cleaning

“An Open Door to O’Fallon”
A Weekly Note from Mayor Herb Roach
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With the arrival of spring and the beautiful weather, thoughts of starting anew are foremost on our minds. Spring is the perfect time of year to clean out and dispose of all those unnecessary items that have accumulated in our garages, attics and basements over the long winter.

For those of you who are energized to begin your cleaning project, you may be wondering how to dispose of these unwanted items once you have determined what needs to go. To make it convenient for our residents to dispose of these items, Waste Management provides weekly collection services, year-round.

All you need to do is place your bulky item at the curb or alley next to your trash and yard waste on your normal pick-up day and Waste Management will pick the item up. Weekly collection of one bulky item is included in the standard service rate of $21.55 per month.

Please remember that the new Waste Management Contract will go into effect on April 1, 2018. This new contract includes the same service levels and pick-up schedule as the current contract, but the standard service rate will lower to $19.95.

This weekly bulk item pick-up service provides O’Fallon residents with a convenient, easy and timely means of disposing of unwanted items, and I encourage residents to take advantage of the service.

Bulky items are defined as all types of solid waste that cannot be placed into a 32-gallon trash can or a 96-gallon mobile cart, but can be carried to the curb by two persons, and does not exceed 150 pounds. Bulky items include household equipment and furniture, but do not include automobile parts or components, batteries, tires, electronics, including computers and television sets, appliances and household hazardous waste items.

Residents who have appliances that they wish to dispose of may call Waste Management to schedule a special pick-up of the appliance at a cost of $19.31 per appliance. On April 1, 2018, this cost will change to $25 per appliance.

If you have electronics that you wish to recycle, there are a couple of electronic recycling events coming up:

• Electronic Re-Cycling Day at St. Nicholas Church – Saturday, March 17 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
• Rotary Club of O’Fallon Sunrise E-Recycling Drop-Off at OTHS (parking lot off Weber Road) – Saturday, March 31 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

RJ’s Computer Place, located at 311 South Lincoln (one block south of O’Fallon City Hall) serves as a permanent drop-off location. RJ’s will accept all electronics for recycling, except for “older-style” tube televisions. For more information, you can reach them at 618-708-4357.

In addition to the bulk item pick-up services, Waste Management also provides weekly collection of unlimited amounts of yard waste at no additional charge. Leaves, grass clippings, etc. should be placed in brown biodegradable bags or plastic trash cans that are clearly labeled “Yard Waste Only” and placed at the curb for pickup. Residents may also request an extra 96-gallon cart at an additional $1.50 per month. On April 1, 2018, this cost with change to $2.50 per month. “Yard Waste Only” stickers are available at City Hall or by calling Waste Management at 1-800-989-2783. Waste Management will not accept yard waste that is placed in any type of plastic bag.

Please also remember that we have curbside recycling included in the Waste Management contract. Many of your unwanted items will be recyclable, such as magazines, catalogs, school papers, cardboard, pots and pans, and other household metals and plastics. Simply throw these items in your recycling cart for pick-up.

On a different note, we have received notice that several residents were approached by marketers offering lower electricity rates or incentives to sign a contract for electricity. Please remember, in our community’s aggregation program, residents are not required to sign a contract and will not be contacted by a salesperson. If you are approached by an electric marketer, please be aware that it is not part of O’Fallon’s electrical aggregation program.

If you are solicited by an electrical marketer, please be certain to review all contract terms, ask about additional charges and do not feel pressured to take action right away.

As residents of O’Fallon, you should always be able to reach out to your elected officials and ask questions about what is happening in O’Fallon. Having open communications is important to me and something I care very deeply about. Thank you for reading, and please remember, my door is always open!