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ALTON – Alton officials have been asked to schedule a public forum before entering a trash hauling contract with Republic Services.
Alton is already in the process of negotiating a new city-wide trash hauling contract with Republic Services. But before any final agreement is reached or approved, Denise Sparks of Sparks Junk Removal & Hauling asked city leaders to schedule a public hearing, much like Jerseyville did months ago.
“This decision will affect every household in our community – and because of that, I believe our residents deserve to have their voices heard before any final decision is made,” Sparks said. “Before Alton moves forward with another exclusive trash contract, I ask that we look at what recently happened in Jerseyville.
“Their council chambers are roughly three times the size of ours, and they were packed to standing-room-only … one after another, residents spoke, and the message was clear: they wanted the freedom to choose their own trash provider. Most importantly, their mayor and City Council listened. That is exactly what I’m asking the City of Alton to do.”
Sparks also suggested Alton adopt a similar trash service model to Jerseyville, where residents can buy permit stickers for trash, recycling, and yard waste services while keeping the freedom to choose their own trash hauling company. Not only would this give residents more freedom and make the local trash market more competitive, she said, it would eliminate the city’s trash bill collection issues as billing would be handled between the customer and service provider.
“I respectfully request that Mayor [David] Goins and the City Council schedule a public hearing as soon as possible so Alton residents can share their experiences, concerns, and ideas before a decision is made,” Sparks said. “This issue belongs to the people of Alton, and they deserve an opportunity to participate in this discussion.”
A full recording of the July 8, 2026 Alton City Council meeting is available at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.
