Residents, KDOT and former landfill managers press Crawford County for tougher enforcement, coordinated cleanup of highway litter

At the Jan. 3 meeting of the Crawford County Board of Commissioners, residents, a Kansas Department of Transportation representative and former landfill management urged the county to push for stronger enforcement, tighter commercial hauling practices and a coordinated cleanup plan to address recurring litter on state and county highways.

The discussion came during the public-comment period after Melissa Rhodes told commissioners that volunteers working an ‘‘Adopt-a-Highway’’ route had collected 248 bags of trash on a stretch of U.S. 69 and other roads. ‘‘So far, they've picked up 248 bags of trash on that stretch of road,’’ Rhodes said, and asked whether the county could match a $190-per-pickup stipend used by a private operator to attract volunteers.

Why it matters: speakers said the litter is damaging county and commercial equipment, is a recurring public-safety and aesthetic problem, and may stem in part from out-of-state commercial haulers delivering to a private landfill in Crawford County. County staff provided tipping-fee and contract figures that show the landfill generates substantial revenue for the county, complicating choices about who should pay for cleanup.

Details from the meeting

- Volunteers and incentives: Rhodes and other residents described large, repeated cleanups along a three-mile stretch. Rhodes said volunteers sometimes receive about $190 per pickup from a local operator and suggested the county consider matching or expanding stipends to entice more school, church and nonprofit groups to participate.

- KDOT role and limits: Jeff…