Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Warsaw's recent trash woes are literally beginning to pile up.
After enforcing a 32-gallon handled trash container for all city residents for garbage pick-up, the street department has seen its fair share of complaints and noncompliance in the last eight months.
For some residents who refuse to use the new 32-gallon cans, the city has stopped picking up their trash. Street Department Supervisor Lacy Francis said there are an estimated 65 cases of residents with seven or more violations since August.
"And some of these people don't put out their trash every week. Sometimes it's only once or twice a month," Francis said. "And they still have all these violations."
The street department allowed four violations before warning residents that trash pickup would be halted if the proper container wasn't used. The ordinance enforcing the container issue has been in place since 1998.
"We haven't always been diligent in enforcing (this rule)," Mayor Ernie Wiggins said. "But, because of the rise in workmen's comp, we've had to address the issue."
Wiggins said back injuries and hernia cases raised premiums on insurance costs for the street department, and the city hopes the smaller, more manageable trash cans could prevent further injuries to its workers.
"Part of the problem is ours," Wiggins said. "We'd tag people and still pick up their trash.
"When we stopped picking it up, then we'd start getting the phone calls and complaints."
But not only are the larger, heavier containers a problem, residents are putting out their trash without a container as well. Leaving trash out in this fashion make the bags suspectible to animals and endangers the pick-up crews with any sharp objects that could be inside.
The City Council will address the issue tonight. Wiggins predicts the councilmen will show their support for the street department, and will help to revise language in the violation notices workers put on larger containers.
"We want to be customer service, but it's not fair for those that are compliant if we pick up for people who refuse to buy a new compliant container," Wiggins said.
"And for the people that aren't buying the proper container, I think it's a little bit of not wanting to comply and thinking that the city isn't going to do anything."
