Friday, August 10, 2012

Tribune: Aldermanic power wasting away under new grid garbage system

I suppose this will come to our part of town at some point:
Mayor Rahm Emanuel's move toward the citywide garbage grid threatens to take much of the ward-level garbage control out of City Council members' hands.

The effort was launched in June in a handful of North Side wards then was expanded July 30 on the Northwest Side. Emanuel expects to save $20 million this year by freeing garbage crews from matching their routes to the often twisting borders of the wards.

But aldermen have been loath to give up one of their key powers.

Complicating matters further on the 4500 block of North Kostner is the fact that with the new map that officially takes effect in 2015, the street will become part of the 39th Ward, which Ald. Margaret Laurino represents.

In some cases, aldermen already have begun serving the people whose votes they need in their next election, but Arena said he plans to keep working to make sure the garbage pickup goes smoothly in his entire ward. The grid system, Arena pointed out, should make the ward irrelevant for trash collection purposes.

"We've only had a handful of complaints, and I hope that by next week we'll pretty much have the kinks with the new routes ironed out," he said.
Read the whole thing and then let us know what you think!

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