Resident offers to organize cleanup of 12-acre town-owned riverfront; Select Board pledges coordination

A local resident identified as Stephanie told the Town of Rutland Select Board on April 8 that she has been volunteering to remove trash from a roughly 12-acre riverfront parcel near Park Street that she said is owned by the town.

Why it matters: Stephanie described repeated illegal dumping at an attractive river access area that once drew families for swimming and ice-skating. The property’s mix of town, city and private parcels complicates a response; the citizen’s offer to coordinate volunteers and help monitor the site could reduce cleanup costs and help the town identify recurring encampments or trespassing.

What the resident said - Ownership and scale: Stephanie said a small triangle of the site is city-owned but that a substantially larger area — she estimated about 12 acres — is town property. She told the board she has removed two truckloads of trash so far and described finding mattresses, sofas, tents, syringes and other debris. - Outreach and safety: Stephanie said she began by posting on social media for volunteers but removed the post when responses turned negative; she said some people who care are “not on Facebook.” She reported contacting the city police and city parks and rec about encampments and said she would report instances of trespass so the city could respond. - Costs: Stephanie told the board she has personally paid to dump…