Recognizing that some residents are dissatisfied with their trash and recyclables services, city officials have set up a Q&A session between the public and a representative from LRS Waste Management.
In a Facebook post, Kewanee Mayor Gary Moore announced that the public is invited to attend Monday’s City Council meeting on Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. Meetings are held at City Hall.
The mayor wrote that a rep from the waste management company will be in attendance to address concerns raised by some Kewanee citizens.
“I am requesting those that have had issues to please attend the meeting so we can express our concerns in a respectful, organized manner,” the mayor wrote. “Some things simply cannot be fixed with a Facebook rant.”
Some Kewanee residents have indeed expressed displeasure and frustration about the trash service in online posts and comments over the last couple months, with the major complaint being the service’s reliability. Last week, staffing and equipment issues caused a delay in trash pickup.
The City Council narrowly voted to hire LRS Waste Management in March of 2024, with the mayor casting the deciding vote. In August of last year, LRS delivered a second container for recyclables and the first scheduled pickup began the first week of September. The move marked the first time that trash pickup in Kewanee had been contracted out to a private business, and not everyone was happy about it.
Since then, residents have frequently complained online about the quality of the service. But a survey conducted by The Kewanee Voice showed not all residents have complaints. Over 250 Kewanee residents responded to an online survey which asked questions about the reliability of the service, satisfaction and customer service, and for the most part, a majority of those residents reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the new service.
LRS operates the Atkinson Landfill, where Kewanee’s trash has been taken for the past several years. The company also handles trash and recyclables pickup for a number of Illinois communities.
Mayor Moore is asking for residents with concerns to plan to attend Monday’s meeting.
