We understand that the City Manager intends to introduce a budget-saving measure by proposing to cut bulk pick up down to once a month. This idea is incredibly ill advised.
Portsmouth has trash issues. There is literally garbage everywhere. There's garbage blowing around down London Blvd, garbage in Scotts Creek, garbage on front lawns from people throwing it out car windows, etc. It seems to be common practice among some to walk around eating and drinking and just throwing the resulting trash anywhere.
The Civic Leauge has to pick garbage up at Scotts Creek Park constanty, despite two well-placed cans that are emptied regularly. In fact, one Saturday morning a glass from Roger Brown's was found with the squeezed-out lime and swizzle stick still in it sitting on top of our concrete fencing. It must have been an awesome Friday night happy hour. This is all bad enough.
Folks just put out bulk trash wherever they want, whenever they want. Piles of it. The ordinance that states that the bulk trash must be put out no earlier than Thursday night is ignored. Garbage inspectors seem in short supply.
Residents are rarely if ever asked to remove the trash they put out on Saturday for pick up on the following Friday. The pile just sits there. People work in their yards on Saturday, clean the basement, and move in new furniture, discarding the old and leave it all out on the curb until the following Friday morning for pick up. It looks dreadful. The smart day to set up bulk trash pick up is Monday...following the weekend clean ups, not a week later. Can't the City make it easier for citizens to comply with the rules?
The rules about bulk pick up are Byzantine and confusing to everyone. There are rules for piles of tree limbs, rules for yard waste,rules for the color of the trash bags, rules for pick up of old appliances, old appliances with freon, size of the pile, height of the pile, how the bulk trash is separated from the yard waste bulk trash.. This is complicated by where cars are parked. Many times non compliance with these rules and cars parked in front of piles causes them to stay there without being removed for almost ten days under current practices. We have three illegal dumping spots in Shea Terrace which we constantly have to call about.
So now our City Manager wants to add to all this mess and confusion by having bulk trash picked up once a month? Which resident wishes to put up with stained mattresses dumped in Scotts Creek Park for that long!
We have an alternate suggestion...let's pile it all up in front of Ken Chandler's house for him to enjoy.
This issue is being discussed at tonight's City Council meeting at 7p.m.. Maybe you disagree with this post. That's okay. The important thing about the democratic process is that ALL our voices are heard. Your comments may be emailed to Council@portsmouthva.gov.
