The Public Works Committee on July 23 discussed recurring roadside trash, dumped tires and uncovered loads coming from the landfill and private vehicles, and voted to hold communication 202-5297 for further direction. The committee meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m.; the motion to hold the item passed by voice vote.

The issue drew attention after Russell Leary, Commissioner, District 5, informed the committee about “concerns regarding roadside trash and landfill covered load requirements.” Commissioner Trudy Healy said she found tires removed from a roadside location two days after a prior meeting and thanked whoever picked them up.

Director Mark Neary told the committee that crews had removed a pile of tires and other trash and were picking up a dumped load of branches near the Fickler Building that same evening. “That was our group tires and there was other trash there,” Neary said. He said crews would make recurring runs — “once a week or once a night” — Wednesday through Sunday to pick up visible trash and items blown from alleys.

Committee members discussed ways to reduce future incidents. Commissioner Dan Callahan asked whether dumpsters at Alley Rally could be tarped to prevent wind-blown debris, and suggested promoting a fine-mitigating tarp type: “the blue tarps and stuff… the wind catches them. And if you get the ones that are like a net… they work real wonderful.”

Neary said the trucks that empty the dumpsters have tarps on the truck bodies and that he would “take a look at it and see if somehow we can secure it.” He also said not all the debris necessarily originated at the landfill: “I was going down the highway yesterday… 2 trucks passed me and stuff was flying out of their truck.”

On enforcement and public outreach, Neary said staff would try a public-education approach: “We will put it on our website and maybe on our Facebook page, letting everybody know that there is a fine if you don't have your load covered.” Commissioner Callahan urged stronger enforcement, saying, “I think if we put the heat on some of these people and they start finding out that there is a penalty and there are consequences for doing it, I think that'll improve it.”

Suggestions also included temporarily placing roll-off dumpsters in problem areas for community cleanups and encouraging citizens to report vehicles with uncovered loads. Neary said crews could collect bags left after organized cleanups and that staff were “definitely willing to do whatever we need to do.”

After the discussion Commissioner Dan Callahan moved to hold communication 202-5297 until Commissioner O'Leary (absent) could weigh in; Commissioner Trudy Healy seconded. The motion carried on a voice vote; names and a numerical tally were not recorded. The committee adjourned following the vote.

Next steps identified during the meeting were: staff outreach via the county website and Facebook about covered-load fines, continued targeted pickup runs in affected areas, and further consideration of physical solutions such as alternative tarps or targeted roll-off placement. The committee did not adopt new enforcement measures at the meeting.