Local hauler presents $25-per-can rural route; council delays decision on sanitation contract

At the Sept. 9 meeting, Jason of Jason’s Junk Removal presented a proposal to provide rural garbage collection for Cherry Valley residents. Jason said his current rural route prices are $25 per can for one can and $35 for two cans and that he would supply 96-gallon cans; he prefers a one-year contract and offered to coordinate city cleanups and haul bulky items for an extra fee.

Council members asked about logistics (service days, hand collection into a trailer, online billing and payment options), the availability of cans (lead time roughly one month to six weeks), and policies for skipping service for nonpayment. Jason said he would prefer to pick up overflow bags if they’re bagged and that he can be flexible on scheduling to meet the city’s needs. He indicated staffing is small and that he currently hand-loads into a pickup-and-trailer setup rather than a mechanical truck.

Why it matters: council members said reliable, consistent collection is a priority and that several citizen complaints about missed pickups had arisen under the prior provider. The council agreed to collect more feedback, compare Jason’s quote with the previous provider’s offer and consider a citizen poll via the city Facebook page before taking a formal vote next month.

What happens next: council deferred a final contract decision until the next meeting to review competitive bids, can availability, and citizen input. If awarded, Jason said it could be up to six weeks before new cans arrive and service transitions.

Representative quote: Jason said, "For our rural route is $25 per can or $25 for one can and $35 for two can. We would provide the can."