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Mayors Association Talks Trash
By Cathy Patton
Litter Getters and ticket bearing law enforcement officials will be fanning out through McDowell County in April, local mayors learned Monday at the monthly meeting of McDowell County Mayors Association.
The Mayors spent the majority of their time during the gathering discussing solutions for litterbugs, polluters, slumlords and various other undesirables that prevent a clean/green community.
The meeting was hosted by Kimball Mayor Randall DeLoach and held at Yasou Deli.
Mayor DeLoach reported that Kimball plans to erect “Clean it/Green it/Cut it/Clip it” signs throughout the town this summer. DeLoach said the signs tie in nicely with the County Commission’s Clean it/Green it Program and will serve as a reminder of the county’s and the town’s ongoing cleanup efforts.
Solid Waste Authority Board Member Randall Patton spoke to the association about the potential for towns to apply for a $3000 DEP matching grant.
DEP officials Carroll Vestal and Phyllis Farley and Solid Waste Authority Office Manager Trish Blevins were also present to provide information and answer questions.
Association President Tom Hatcher related that he is “impressed” with the county’s current zero tolerance litter policy.
“If we’re going to clean up our county, each town has to do its part,” he said.
Welch Mayor Martha Moore dispensed copies of Welch’s tough litter ordinances, which were written by an attorney and can pass legal muster. She added that laws have changed. Providing an example, she said it used to be that vehicles without tags could be cited, but now they can be cited for many reasons, she noted.
Moore said that the ordinances were recently enacted, “but once we get going and the word circulates, we won’t have any mercy,” she stressed.
Welch is preparing to tear down 90 houses, but the effort will take years, she said.
Moore stated that Welch’s Building Board has played a vital role in the town’s condemnation efforts.
“They do a lot of inspections and photography and then go inside and prepare to condemn (buildings),” she said.
Touching on another positive, Moore said the crusher will return to Welch May 8th, 9th, 10th and will be located across from the hospital. The crusher will accept appliances with Freon, but will not take household garbage, box springs and fence.
Vestals suggested that other towns could pattern their ordinances after Welch’s and tweak it to fit their needs.
A question arose about customers refusing to pay portions of their garbage/water/sewage bill.
Hatched noted that combined bills for water/sewage/garbage cannot be separated. In War, he said paying the complete bill is mandatory or services will be turned off. “That works,” he said.
Garbage service in War is mandated and town residents must use it or be fined, he added.
Hatcher said that Region I is the reason that War now has a sewage system. He explained that the McDowell Circuit Court ordered the town to build a sewage system and to charge each town resident $10 monthly until the system was built. The fees were paid from 1991 to 1999 when the nearly $9 million system was then built. The escrow account, he said, helped advance the town up the list to get a grant, which paid for the system. Now, War is in line to receive $7.8 million for a water system.
“We couldn’t have done it without Dave Cole and Region I,” he said.
The mayors were informed that the Solid Waste Authority, the DNR, the DEP and local law enforcement will be working with litter getters in April. Residents are being advised to clean up their property now or face fines when the litter getters arrive.
Blevins related that the free dump at the Copper Ridge Landfill should help with the process. The free dump day is set for the last Friday of each month. The landfill, which now accepts construction and demolition debris, eradicates all excuses for littering. The next free dump day is Friday, March 28. The landfill phone number is 436-6174.
Litterbugs should be reported to Solid Waste Authority at 436-6608, Blevins said.
In closing, Mayor Hatcher stressed that McDowell County now has a Wastewater Treatment Coalition that meets monthly, 1 p.m., on the first Wednesday at the Welch Presbyterian Church.
Stressing that the Coalition has already made great strides and is now ready for projects, Hatcher noted, “The public is invited to the meetings. We need your presence.”
The Mayors Association will meet again April 15, 10 a.m. at Welch City Hall.
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