Concerns about grass clippings and yard waste in city streets have the Columbia Board of Aldermen talking about solutions.
At the June 19 meeting board members worried that debris was causing problems including clogging streets drains and leading to flooding.
“Some of these people that are mowing yards around town and trimming bushes are dumping leaves and real small short trimmings and they aren’t bagging anything,” Alderman-at-Large Edward Hough said. “We’re working ourselves to death. It’s something that either somebody else needs to haul off or bag up.”
Ward 4 Alderman Mike Smith said he was also concerned.
“We need to give them a ticket or something,” he said. “On North Main, we’ve got someone that puts a bunch of garbage down and then covers it with cane.”
“We’re killing ourselves and working ourselves where we shouldn’t have to,” Hough said.
Mayor Justin McKenzie said city crews had averaged five to seven loads per day going to the landfill.
“When you pull up, they’ll have leaves and then a pile of straw or small clippings piled up?” Hough said. “We’ve got an ordinance that says it has to be bagged up. It’s our fault for picking it up when it’s not bagged.”
McKenzie said people could bag the items or take them to the landfill themselves.
The site, still located on Airport Road until a decision is made on relocation, is now open on Saturdays. The landfill is open Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. until 4 p.m., closed on Fridays, and open from 8 a.m. until noon on Saturdays.
“One of the biggest complaints we received was that people were not able to take items to the landfill on Saturdays,” he said.
The recycling center on Old Foxworth Road is also a busy place these days, open from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Fridays and 8 a.m. until noon on Saturdays.
“If we recycle, it’s not only less cardboard, paper, bottles and cans in the landfill, it’s less money spent to haul it and put it in the landfill,” McKenzie said. “It’s money we could put to good use elsewhere in the city.”
