Renner: Council should stop ‘navel gazing’ and pass bulk waste fees

Posted on February 10, 2016
Tari Renner
Bloomington mayor Tari Renner is expressing frustration over the city’s years-long debate over how to pay for its bulk waste collection. (Photo courtesy Facebook/Tari Renner)

By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington mayor Tari Renner said the bulk waste debate is on hold until he’s sure a majority of alderman can agree on something.

The city council delayed a vote on a plan for a new fee structure on Monday over concerns about how residents would be billed. Renner told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin he thought there was support for the first two curbside pickups free and then $20 for the next collection and then $40 after that, but some alderman suggested they were caught off guard by the second collection being free.

PODCAST: Listen to Scott and Colleen’s interview with Renner on WJBC.

“There is still a culture where old habits die hard, that we want to continue to navel gaze and nitpick especially over trash,” Renner said. “I think some of it is because we have nine people elected from nine different constituencies.”

Bloomington’s council has a ward system as opposed to Normal which elects its council members at large.

“It shouldn’t be so difficult,” Renner said. “The things that have been difficult is the council has just gone back and forth on this, literally, for years.”

Bloomington has been looking for ways to better cover the cost of its solid waste program, which the city says has an estimated $1.5 million deficit annually.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].

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