Waste dump faces shutdown

Cut the Council's $4900 magazine fund and you are 20% of the way there.

The ducks better watch out when they swim.

I have already sent an email to the mayor and city council members this morning regarding the article so please anyone reading this send an email. Here is what I had to say:
I just read the article in the Naperville Sun regarding the potential closing of the Hazardous waste facility. The city of Naperville needs to come up with a solution to make sure that this facility is not closed. I use it frequently to get rid of oil and other items that are recyclable. Closing this facility would be potentially disastrous for our water supply and landfills because people would get rid of items somehow. Everyone is preaching about how green they are so lets not lose this great opportunity that is available in our city.
I have some suggestions on where the money could be found to help cover the additional funds needed: magazine subscription, police overtime, and bronze statue ( artwork) for downtown area.

Stop the millions paid in overtime to the police.

ELIMINATE SOME PROGRAMS:

- Downtown Parking subsides $20MM - $50,000,000

- Carillon (Moser Memorial) $425,000 per year

- Jaycees and Exchange Club subsidies (AKA favorite Charity funding) $228,000, per year

TAKE THE MONEY SAVED AND:

- Fully fund the household waste disposal facility so that we don't poison our ground water more than it already is.

- Buy our three police dogs top of the line Dragon Skin bullet proof vests, diamond studded collars, gold leaf tactical helmets and get gold crowns for all of their teeth.

- Subscribe to all of the top places to retire magazines for City Hall.

REMAINING BALANCE OF FUNDS:

- Distribute the remaining balance of funds ($20-50MM) to Naperville Homeowners so that they wont have to ask what is left of our major employers for more salary increases.

Maybe our major employers will stop leaving Naperville like rats leaving a sinking ship.

I like all these ideas! Let's just add a user fee to those people from Will county so they can pay their FAIR SHARE.

I use the Hazardous Waste facility often to dispose of chemicals that I cannot otherwise recycle or throw away. This facility is a benefit to us all. I would like to suggest getting some data on where people come from to use the facility: Will County, Kane Counthy, others? If DuPage County is contributing, then other counties can contribute, too, since it is a resource to all.

I, too, want to see the City Council get its priorities straight. Some of the suggestions from previous posters are really good ideas; I personally don't agree with eliminating overtime for the police, as some of this is spent for time for officers to attend court dates (and those folks who are arrested often have their cases dropped just because the arresting officer doesn't show up to court!). Let's not do away with the essentials, like crime prevention and follow-through in the courts.

I'd say that we don't need to attract new residents to this area (we're already overgrown--ever try to turn left onto Washington St. without a stop light?). We can reduce the "nice" stuff: Carillon, art, renovating the River Walk (I haven't yet figured out why that's all torn up), so the residents can benefit from this facility. Otherwise, we'll have a landfill for noxious waste in our back door (maybe that's what they're digging up along the River Walk? just kidding).

Talk about taking a giant step backwards.

It would be great to ask any of the Dupage county park district board how they feel about the possible closing of this important drop off point. Anyone who has enjoyed a stroll at Blackwell Forest Preserve can be witness to the affects of this type of pollution being mishandled. Take a hike up the east side of the garbage hill and take note of the signs explaining the petrochemicals that leach out of the dump and into pre-drilled wells that contain this "run off from hell" and then is incinerated. This "run off from hell" is the same pollution that is now being properly disposed off at the Naperville location.

If anyone is interested to further delve into Dupage county pollution policy just look at the closed dumps and see how many are leaking cancer causing chemicals. Just a hint there are 2 that are less than a half a mile from both the east and west Dupage rivers.

But no worries we may be running out of cash to properly dispose of pollution the correct way, we will always have enough cash to drill collection wells, pollute lakes and water sheds down river and then try to pick up the pieces.

Moderator Jim, heres a story that should be told and its right in our back yard. When fishing at Blackwell please don't eat the fish. For all you folks that swam at the public swimming lake at Blackwell in the 1980's, no worries the lake was just a bit contaminated by the hill that loomed large to the north. At least they are using that part of the preserve for an archery range. Just don't retrieve the arrows if they hit the hill, "for there is oil in that there hill".

The way this city spends money on frills and glitter a mere 25 grand should not even be mentioned or discussed . Just write a check or put it on a city credit card....

You know there are a lot of public-private partnerships that work well when they serve both parties interests.

Just a few blocks north of the hazardous waste collection facility is Nalco, a rather large, profitable specialty chemical company. A lot of their employees live right here in Naperville. Not too much further to the east is BP and the old Amoco research facility.

Like all large corporations I'm sure both of these corporations must give some money to a variety of organizations that they believe are worthwhile. Has anyone approached Nalco or BP to see if they might be interested in sponsoring or splitting the cost of the collection facility between them? Think about it, both of them are in the chemical business, both of them employ a ton of chemists, both of them already manage hazardous waste disposal on their own property. Working with BP alone the city could probably reduce cost by linking up to the enormous contract BP has for hazardous waste disposal nationwide.

Another potential sponsor would be Edwards Hospital. They are stuffed full of cash and could afford to sponsor the waste facility better than any other Naperville employer. The tie in is good with them helping to keep people healthy thru proper disposal practices as opposed to long term health issues related to air, ground, or water contamination.

Who on the city council or in city hall can we send to talk to these good corporate neighbors and see if they can keep this valuable community resource from constantly being in the cross-hairs every time there is blip in the budget.

They should take the MONEY FROM THE SECA FUNDS, PREFERABLY THE MOSER STATUES AND PUT INTO THE HAZARDOUS WASTE FACILITY.

I think I'm going to be sick with how money is spent here--for nonsene.

How in the world is culture (i.e SECA funds) relevant to hazardous waste? Well at least it would be going for something usefull rather than throwing it away on police OT. Actually now that I think about it the hazardous waste collection facility is a dangerous place... it probably needs at least 12 OT police officers every Sat and Sun morning to direct traffic, control order, check ID's, and make sure the criminal types aren't trying to steal all of the dangerous hazardous materials.

I don't have problem with a statue of Moser. He singlehandedly did more for Naperville than anyone else including good old Joe Naper who the town is named after. Moser donated millions of dollars for parks and schools and churches. He was a true gentleman, a class act, and worked really hard to improve Naperville.

The fact that there isn't already a statue for Moser says more about the ass kissing that goes on with the SECA funds than anything else considering our Barney Fife of a Mayor already has a statue on Washington and he isn't even dead yet.

At least we can see and measure the results of Moser. It is more than a shame that we can't say the same thing about Pradel.

I am concerned that a program that "is truly good for the environment" would be on the block before the 'nice to have" projects that could wait for another day.

People will not drive all that distance to dispose of these materials and our children will find that because of this decision their water/land has been poluted for their use.

I believe the Naperville taxes are high enough to cover these necessary functions. Let's make sure we are appropriating our tax dollars wisely.