​At the Peoria City/County Landfill Committee meeting Sept 18, the waste receipt report from Waste Management showed a drop in landfill tonnage for August 2019 with the year-to-date waste at 113,582 tons compared to 120,091.64 tons in 2018.

Foth staff presented a report researching declining waste trends at the current Peoria City County Landfill 2 (PCCL2), which was requested by the Landfill Committee. Several interesting bar graphs comparing amounts of recycling by year and tonnage at the landfill along with other analyses reached the following conclusions:

• recycling has a relatively minor effect overall on the landfill as the total tonnage is very small in comparison to total waste receipts at PCCL2 even with the new Peoria options of no-fee recycling toters and city-wide curbside pick-up;
• changes in the waste industry are affecting PCCL2 waste receipts as many former municipal solid waste collection companies that previously disposed of waste at PCCL2 are either closing or being purchased by other waste companies and these waste streams are being sent to other locations. The research showed PDC is gaining market share and Waste Management, Inc., appears to be having a reduction; in a comparison of tonnage  of waste received, the PDC Indian Creek Landfill at Hopedale shows an increasingly higher tonnage received while PCCL2 is dropping in amounts.
• The comment that waste receipts have decreased over the last decade across the region attribute the economic climate and sustainability efforts and states only a marginal impact from recycling. This report and other documents for the Landfill Committee meetings are posted on the City of Peoria website.

 All members were present at the September 10 meeting and arrived early.  Minutes, expenses, and reimbursement for expenses related to the HAVA Security Grant were approved.  Additional cameras, door access panels, software, and training have already been added.  Director Tom Bride will also be asking for partial reimbursement for some County expenses that were pushed by election needs.
            Staff is currently looking at ballot readers, and a Request For Purchase will go out once exact needs are determined.  The State's Attorney was not present, but Director Bride reported that the County is getting close to a determination on the property tax issue (whether the landlord is responsible for real estate tax on the part of the building housing the election commission).
Irene Pritzker, Observer