Council Will Keep Manual Trash Pickup

Even if a new trash hauler comes to town, the City Council made sure this week that residents will see little change in how their garbage is picked up.

Instead of opting for the technologically advanced automated collection system adopted recently by two neighboring cities, the council, in an informal polling, decided Tuesday to stay with Lake Forest’s manual pickup.

Garbage collection is part of a package of trash services, called a request for proposal, that will be sent to disposal companies interested in the $30-million contract.

Council members said the automated system, which limits how many company-provided bins can be picked up without extra charge, was too restrictive.

Residents accustomed to putting out as many of their own trash cans as needed “don’t like limits placed on them,” Councilwoman Kathryn McCullough said.

Mayor Richard T. Dixon, however, supported the automated system, which allows truck operators to collect trash without leaving the vehicle. “Automated is the wave of the future,” he said.

The council wants to streamline the bid process by requesting one price for one package of services. They did ask for an optional price for recycling yard debris such as lawn and shrubbery clippings.

The current trash franchise expires in July. The city has a six-month option to extend the service it now gets from Waste Management of Orange County Inc. if a new contract is not ready in time.