The City of Monmouth could be selling the solid waste transfer station to a buyer who talks of developing the site and potentially expanding, creating jobs.
At Monday’s city council meeting, aldermen were given a presentation by Dustin Reynolds from Lake Shore Recycling purchasing the property for $2,000,000 to collect and transport solid waste to their landfill in Atkinson, Illinois.
The transfer station is used for individuals to bring large, bulky items to get rid of or things like construction materials. Items are dropped off and the city pays a hauler to take them to a landfill, now that the Monmouth Landfill has been closed.
The city would also be compensated for every in-bound ton of solid waste received at the site with an additional dollar.
Reynolds told aldermen that the company wasn’t planning on changing anything at the site, mentioning they weren’t looking to increase rates but were planning to add jobs, make improvements to the site, including the addition of a scale, and expand offerings. Eventually, Renolds said, they’d offer recycling and acquiring a local hauler or creating a fleet of trucks to bid competitively for trash and recycling pickup.
Reynolds also told aldermen that Lake Shore is involved in the community and would look to contribute to events around town and volunteering.
City Administrator Lew Steinbrecher says that the city is beginning the process of negotiating the terms of sale with Lake Shore Recycling.
“What we have is an initial offer from them,” Steinbrecher told WGIL in a Tuesday interview, “and we’ll probably start a counter-offer until we reach a tentative agreement. And then, take the contract back to the council at a later date for their consideration.”
There’s no timetable for when the sale will be finalized.
The city says that any sale of the site will have no effect on yard waste and brush collection.
