Caleb Franklin takes the oath of office as a Kewanee police officer from City Clerk Kasey Mitchell. Also sworn in as a new officer was Noah Sauer, left. [Photo by Michael Berry]

City officials have a meeting set up with representatives of LRS, the company that picks up trash and recyclables for Kewaneeans.

Two speakers at Monday’s City Council meeting may have provided some talking points for the city.

Kim Reynolds asked why the day for landscape-waste pickup was switched from Monday to Friday. Reynolds said many Kewaneeans gather leaves, twigs and other landscape items over the weekend, and used to put it at the curb for Monday pickup.

Now, she said, those people have to store the landscape bags until the end of the week.

“I swear I’m not a troublemaker,” Reynolds said.

Mayor Gary Moore said city officials could suggest moving landscape-waste collection to Mondays at their meeting with the LRS people.

Reynolds said also there have been cases of people’s trash pickup being missed and of trash blowing around neighborhoods where pickup is scheduled.

She said “everyone she knows” has called LRS at least once to complain.

Karen Rogula said there is “no rhyme or reason” to the times trash and recyclables are picked up. People’s refuse gets collected at any time from early morning to after dark in the evening.

Rogula asked if LRS provides feedback to the city on how many complaints they receive. City Clerk Kasey Mitchell said LRS has reported that the number of complaints has dropped “drastically” since their service began in September.

As for the changing pickup times, Mitchell said LRS is still working to “optimize their routes.”

MORE: LRS Trash Satisfaction Survey results are in: Here’s how Kewanee residents responded

Also Monday:

— The council approved Tax Increment Financing (TIF) payments for two downtown projects.

A $61,000 award was approved for Hype Inc. for rehabilitating a building on North Main Street next to the Coco’s parking lot.

Property owner John Cernovich told the council that he is spending upwards of $160,000 on a complete overhaul of the building, which will be a new location for Jesse’s Closet and for office space for the Regional Office of Education.

A $75,000 TIF payment to Cerno Properties will pay about half of the cost of a new roof over several of the buildings west of Cerno’s on West Third Street.

— A request from The Kewanee Voice to continue paying the interest but not the principal on a $20,000 economic development loan from the city was approved.

— The council approved renewing the two-year lease of office space in the Amtrak station for State Sen. Neil Anderson and State Rep. Travis Weaver.

— The council approved the bid of Mechanical Service Inc. of Kewanee to rehabilitate two bathrooms in Fire Station 2. The MSI bid of $24,153 was the lower of the two that were submitted.