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Councilors press city to address mattress dumping, discuss pickup and cost options
Summary
Council members raised repeated concerns about mattress dumping around Green River, discussed existing removal practices and estimated costs, and urged staff to make disposal options clearer to residents; no formal policy change was adopted at the meeting.
Several members of the Green River City Council raised concerns during reports about recurring illegal mattress dumping in and around the city and discussed options for pickup and disposal, but they did not adopt a formal policy change.
Councilman Williams said a citizen contacted him about mattresses being left around the countryside and argued the city “should make up something to make it work.” He said the city has paid $35 to transport some mattresses to the Rock Springs landfill in recent weeks and suggested the city should provide an easier local option at the scale house.
Councilman Kilpatrick said he had received similar calls and reported the city’s records showed 77 mattresses collected last year; he estimated that if the city collected 100 mattresses, at $35 each the cost would be about $3,500. Kilpatrick said he learned from staff that if a resident reports the location of dumped mattresses the city can send crews to pick them up: “If they would notify the city the problem’s already solved, because they will go up and pick up the item,” he said. He proposed that council could direct the city administrator to allow a set number of mattresses to be dumped as part of an operational fix.
Mayor Pete Russ acknowledged that city crews had recently collected mattresses on 10 Mile Road after a report and said staff would continue to respond to specific reports. The meeting record does not show a vote or formal directive to change collection policy; councilmembers asked staff questions and urged clearer options for residents.
The discussion noted existing practices (city-paid disposal to Rock Springs for some items) and potential cost implications; council members asked staff to consider operational approaches but did not specify a new fee, program, or formal contract change during the session.
