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Kewanee council approves curbside contract with Lakeshore Recycling Systems despite unresolved mechanical problems
Summary
The Kewanee City Council narrowly approved a contract with Lakeshore Recycling Systems for curbside solid-waste service after questioning by council members about an unresolved mechanical problem at the transfer station and company response times; the resolution passed 3-2.
The Kewanee City Council voted 3-2 on March 11 to approve a resolution (Bill 24-20) authorizing an agreement with Lakeshore Recycling Systems (LRS) to provide curbside solid-waste collection and disposal services in Kewanee.
The decision followed extended questioning by council members about LRS customer-service practices, weather-related pickup policies and an ongoing mechanical problem at the transfer station. Two LRS representatives told the council that “their goal is to resolve issues the same day, if not the next” and that the company has “three new trucks slotted for Kewanee” to meet service needs.
Councilmembers raised concerns about a pup truck at the transfer station that employees said had been out of service for more than three weeks. Multiple city employees described extra time and frustration caused by the outage, and LRS representatives said they would hold a meeting the following day to discuss options. Councilmember Colomer said he had expected the problem to be resolved before the vote “as a show of good faith.”
The motion to approve the resolution was made by Councilmember Faber and seconded by Councilmember Baker. The roll call resulted in three yes votes (Councilmembers Faber and Komnick and Mayor Moore) and two no votes (Councilmembers Colomer and Baker). City staff and the LRS representatives did not announce any contractual condition tying final payments to immediate repair of the pup truck.
What happens next: the contract takes effect as approved; LRS and city staff said they would meet to address the mechanical issue and customer-service concerns raised during the meeting. The council did not table the item for further delay, and no amendments were recorded at the meeting.
