Warsaw Resident Brings Community Cleanup Idea To City
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Warsaw resident Monica Boyer brought an idea to the city council Monday night for a county-wide cleanup day for appliances, furniture and larger quantities of trash. Boyer said the day would be for residents to put larger items such as sofas and TVs out at the curb to be picked up. Larger quantities of items from people doing spring cleaning and removing items from their basements also could be put out without penalty, Boyer suggested. Boyer said she knows Nappanee has a day set aside for residents to put larger amounts of items at the curb for pick-up. She said as spring draws near she is encouraging the county-wide cleanup day. Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said last year there were warmer temperatures in March and a Dial A Dumpster and Dial A Truck program was offered by the city. A dumpster was put in the Prospect Hill neighborhood last year for residents to put items in. He said he will speak with Lacy Francis, Warsaw street superintendent, about when to start the programs again this year. Thallemer said the city could look into the removal of larger appliances, and said if there is community interest he would support the cleanup day. Thallemer said residents need to be careful in what they throw out and shouldn’t put just anything in dumpsters. He said freon must be removed from items such as refrigerators. “Our street department and solid waste management district work to get rid of things, but there are difficulties with throwing recyclables in with trash and construction debris in with trash,” Thallemer said. Thallemer said the city has the ability to facilitate a cleanup day. “I think if we had a cleanup day the idea would be for neighborhoods to get together and create specific times or days or work groups for cleanup,” Thallemer said. Cindy Dobbins, councilwoman, suggested youth groups could help the elderly put larger appliances and quantities of items at the curb. Diane Quance, councilwoman, said Earth Day is in April and Kosciusko County Recycling Depot is sponsoring its annual Environmental Action Week April 20 to 26. She suggested the city could partner with the depot for a county-wide cleanup day.
