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Public Works reports jump in trash tonnage, ongoing $4M sewer rehab and Oak Park CLOMAR delay
Summary
Public Works told a committee the city’s sanitation tonnage spiked in 2024, sanitation and recycling trends changed after service adjustments, the wastewater division is in the midst of a $4 million rehabilitation program, and the Oak Park stormwater project requires a FEMA conditional letter of map revision (CLOMAR) before bidding.
Public Works presented a year-in-review that documented a substantial increase in sanitation tonnage for 2024, rising system demands across streets and stormwater work, and progress on a multi-million-dollar sewer rehabilitation program.
Director of Public Works told the committee the department handled roughly 800 additional tons of trash in 2024 compared with prior years; staff characterized the increase as driven by population growth and new housing developments. The department said it is receiving further collection capacity (a new trash truck arriving as part of the capital budget) and will re-evaluate route assignments to balance workloads across weekdays.
Public Works also said recycling totals dropped in 2024 despite more households, attributing some of the decline to program changes (side-arm trucks and a $50 can fee) and noting staff will monitor whether new subdivisions’ recycling cans reverse the trend.
On wastewater, staff reported the sewer system now includes about 113 miles of pipe and roughly 3,275 manholes. Public Works said its crews have increased in‑house point repairs and manhole rehabilitation, saving contract costs; the department is currently executing a $4 million rehab project and expects further work supported by an upcoming grant submission in March. Staff emphasized a goal to camera and clean a larger portion of the system annually (a stated goal of roughly 25% of the system, above EPA minimum guidance).
On stormwater, staff updated the committee on the Oak Park project. The Army Corps and FEMA requirements mean the city must obtain a conditional letter of map revision (CLOMAR) because the project alters drainage and daylighting of a stream; staff said the plans are roughly 90% complete and environmental review and county signoffs are in hand but the CLOMAR remains pending. Project staff said the change to route stormwater through an existing stormwater easement (rather than a private easement previously sought) removed the need for eminent-domain action and may reduce costs; the project is expected to remain within the awarded SCOR grant funding.
Public Works also presented a 600‑plus page regional stormwater master plan prepared with partner jurisdictions, saying the plan is required to pursue additional FEMA and federal grants and that consultants will present a high-level summary to council in mid‑February. Staff noted the master plan ranks dozens of crossings by flood risk and recommended prioritized interventions to seek grant funding.
Committee members asked about recycling contamination and whether equipment or service changes affected metrics; staff said the data reported reflect weights collected at the curb and that the city can ask the contractor for contamination rates if needed.
