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Residents, commissioners praise joint city-county cleanup; questions remain about tire disposal costs
Summary
Public commenters and commissioners commended a recent joint city‑county cleanup in Geary County that removed large amounts of trash and about 200 tires from private property, but asked county staff for follow-up on where tires were taken and who used the service.
Residents and county officials on Monday praised a recent joint city‑county cleanup drive that removed a large amount of household trash — and about 200 tires — from private property, while asking for follow‑up information on disposal costs and eligibility.
At the Geary County Board of Commissioners meeting, resident J. Solander, who identified a property at 6503 Old Highway 40, said the cleanup helped remove “a massive truckload of junk” and about “200 old tires” that had been left on the parcel. “So thanks to the city for doing that. It would have been a massive expense on my behalf, to get that taken care of,” Solander said.
The praise continued from county officials, who said they had received positive public feedback and noted the cleanup was a joint effort initiated by the city manager. One commissioner said the effort succeeded in removing large piles of material and tires and urged staff to provide an update when crews finish compiling statistics and bills.
Several speakers raised concerns about who used the cleanup services and the ultimate bill for tire disposal. A commissioner said some people reported seeing others digging through the collection piles during the week and asked whether the program accepted material from outside the intended service area. Another commissioner said they wanted to know “what their total bill is on that” and suggested the county might consider helping cover costs because the event accepted people who appeared to come from outside city boundaries.
County staff or members of the public noted they expected a formal report from Public Works with final statistics and cost details. Commissioners asked staff to follow up with Janet Williams of the White House Regional (as referenced in the meeting) regarding potential grant support for future tire collections.
The discussion also included calls from attendees to consider running the cleanup more frequently, with one resident suggesting a quarterly schedule if costs and logistics allow. No formal vote or policy change was recorded in the transcript regarding the cleanup; commissioners asked staff for further information and cost accounting.
The board did not adopt any ordinance or budget amendment during this discussion; commissioners instead requested follow‑up reporting and clarification about disposal locations and any outside use of the service.
