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Officials say yard-waste pile remains a problem; cleanup costs and responsibility remain unsettled
Summary
Members of the council and solid waste speakers said a long-standing pile of yard waste and limbs remains despite a prior board decision that the solid waste department would stop handling it; speakers noted safety and rodent concerns and cited past full cleanups costing about $19,000–$20,000.
Council members and solid waste representatives raised concerns about a persistent pile of yard waste, limbs and other debris that the solid waste board had agreed a year ago it would no longer handle.
One solid waste board member said the board had voted to stop managing the pile and expected other arrangements; at the meeting the board member reported the material was still present. The board member said the solid waste department lacks funding to do recurring full cleanups and that the county’s prior strategy assumed residents would use other drop-off options or the city’s tote system for yard waste.
Speakers described past contracted cleanups that ground the material and removed large piles, and they gave a past cost estimate of roughly $19,000–$20,000 for a complete cleanup. Angie (city/county staff referenced in the discussion) was described repeatedly as the staff person who had led prior cleanups and who had documented rodent and animal issues at the site.
Council members said the persistent pile creates hazards, can clog streets or drainage when placed curbside, and poses a burn risk if material sits too long. One speaker said planners and staff should keep a yard-waste solution on the radar and assess alternatives such as hiring contractors to grind and remove material or directing material to commercial grinders (where operable).
The council did not adopt a new funding commitment at the meeting; members asked staff and the solid waste board to continue exploring options and to report back with proposals and cost estimates.
