Illegal dumping grabs attention of city leaders

By Marcus McClain

NEA Town Courier

The Blytheville code enforcement committee continued to seek a resolution for the city’s issue of illegal dumping during their May 8 meeting. Officer Danny Harris introduced a potential new ordinance to assist the city in battling against the matter.

“We don’t really have a solid ordinance on illegal dumping. We have ordinances against doing it in a city park and others for unsightly [violations], but that’s typically charged to the property owner. For a large majority of these illegal dumping sites, the private property owners are from [for example] New Jersey or South Carolina so the city has to go get it,” Harris said.

“We have a lot of out of state, out of area property owners that don’t recognize their property anymore. They bought it as an investment, and for whatever reason, found it to not be a good investment,” Harris continued.

With the burden falling on the city, it in turns falls on the city taxpayers. Most of these cases concern dumping construction debris, limbs etc at vacant or empty lots. However, councilman R.L. Jones introduced a different angle with people dumping late at night at occupied residences.

“It’s nothing wrong with the [proposed] ordinance, but there’s something wrong with people having to pay for something that they didn’t do,” Jones stated. “Most times it’s not the people that live at the property. They’ll dump on your lot and dump on my lot too. I don’t think it’s fair for the residents to be taking on that responsibility.”

Before potentially enacting a new and more strict ordinance, Jones also suggested having a notification sent out to residents to ensure they have a clear understanding.

Councilman Matt Perrin also stated, “We can say to those people, ‘ we know it’s not you dumping on your own land. Catch the people who are [on video], give that to the authorities so we can get this stopped.”

Jones then added, “Some of this can be reeled in by the police department. If they can stay in these zones and see some of it, they can stop it.”

Harris also noted the need for the community’s assistance in reporting these dumpings.“It’s a struggle. In some of the more populated areas, I've went around when they’ve had a big dumping and knocked on doors because there’s no way somebody didn’t see a pile as long as this desk and three times as high left out. But I just get, ‘I don’t know, I don’t know.’”

Councilwoman Babara McAdoo-Brothers also presented the angle concerning local businesses to the conversation.

“We have a tremendous amount of people that go around and dump in business owners' dumpsters as well, which is illegal also,”McAdoo-Brothers said. “Businesses are paying for those dumpsters every month, and when they get full, they have to pay for an extra dump. But I’ve watched people pull up with all week’s trash, throw them in the dumpster and drive off.”

The committee voted to send the proposed ordinance to the full council, pending review from city attorney Chris Brown, addressing all angles of the matter. If passed, it was also suggested that a three month reading at the following council meetings to ensure the public’s awareness.

Harris also noted an anticipated need for the city to purchase new trash bins for residences. He stated that he’s observed many becoming flimsy, losing their wheels, etc. Residents can request new bins through the city collectors office.

“Our trash containers have a life span of four to six years at the most. Many of ours are 10 or more years old with duct tape around them, split down the side, etc.,” Harris said. “What doesn’t get blown away, the dogs spread out.”

City CFO John Callens noted that the city normally purchases new bins in bulk at a cost of approximately $20,000.