In a sign that autumn is not that far off, the village of La Grange is expecting to spend about $45,000 in a contract for leaf hauling services.
The Village Board approved a contract Monday with Rainbow Farms Enterprises, Inc. of Mokena, which is providing a cost of $585 per load or $6.50 per cubic yard.
The village sought proposals from four vendors. Only one other contractor applied for the job at a higher cost of $9 per cubic yard.
The village provides the service free to residents, said Ryan Gillingham, director of public works, in a memo to the board.
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The leaves are collected and then loaded into private semi-trucks. After verified by village employees, the leaves are hauled to a transfer site and then to a composting site.
Gillingham said a ticket is generated for each load, and verified against village records.
“This method has proven to be the most cost effective means of leaf disposal. It reduces overtime and excessive fuel consumption,” he said.
The cost of hauling leaves has varied greatly over the past 10 years, according to village records.
The highest amount it spent was $68,250 in 2015-2016. The lowest amount was $33,153 in 2012-2013.
Costs vary based on the contractor selected, the unit price and the volume of leaves, he said.
Gillingham said the village also encourages residents to compost their own leaves because it means fewer leaves the village has to pay to haul away and provides a benefit to the residents.
“When people compost their leaves on their property they can use the leaves as fertilizer in their lawns or gardens,” he said.
The village has set aside $45,000 in its budget for the leaf hauling service. Officials will evaluate the expenditure depending on the quantity of leaves collected and other costs at the end of the leaf hauling season, Gillingham said.
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