Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Illegal Dumping topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents urge blocking turnouts after ‘Greenup was a disaster this year’
Summary
Residents and staff described repeated illegal dumping and unsafe parking at roadside turnouts near Pike Industries and other pull-offs, and the board discussed deterrents including mounding dirt or installing stone curbs and using game cameras; the state may also fill some turnarounds.
Chair opened the meeting and a resident raised concern about a turnout near Pike Industries that is “completely covered in trash,” prompting multiple board members and public-works staff to discuss short-term deterrents and longer-term solutions.
Staff member (S3) described the scale of the problem after the town’s Greenup Day: “Greenup was a disaster this year.” Road staff proposed blocking selected turnouts using large granite curbing from the town pit or mounding dirt so vehicles cannot pull in and dump, and suggested deploying game cameras at repeat hotspots to deter illegal dumping. One staff member (S5) explained the logic behind the temporary measure: “They figure if it’s just a mound of dirt, it’s not gonna be quite as easy to do.”
The board discussed trade-offs: allowing some pull-offs for drivers to use cell phones or make emergency stops versus removing access to prevent chronic dumping. Members asked staff to pursue permissions where state-owned turnarounds are involved and to bring back a plan for which sites to block and how to fund or install deterrents. No formal ordinance change was proposed; the discussion focused on operational steps and site-specific physical deterrents.
A follow-up action the board agreed to pursue was to identify priority turnouts and to coordinate with the state on any turnarounds the state controls so the town does not impede legally required emergency pull-off areas. Staff were directed to return with a recommendation and cost estimate.
