Officials in Jasper have been talking trash lately. No, not “trash talk,” but literal trash…as in garbage.
Several recent complaints have been made to the city lately regarding unacceptable garbage disposal from at least one resident and one local business have led city officials to take a closer look at the the town’s ordinance.
Jasper Mayor Billy Simpson and Police Chief Tim Graham have investigated several complaints including one situation where a square container constructed to hold garbage cans or bags is being used to dump loose trash.
“When our workers come by, they have to shovel it out or pick it up, and that’s not what they’re supposed to do,” Mayor Simpson said in an interview with the ChattanoogaTimes Free Press.
These problems are intensified when there are high winds.
“The garbage was blowing everywhere,” Simpson said. “Our men are picking it up piece by piece by hand. They don’t have the time do that, and they shouldn’t have to do that anyway.”
Contact has been made with the property owners from the city attorney’s office, but nothing has changed.
“Either they don’t understand or they need additional clarification,” said city attorney Mark Raines. “I’m in the process of drafting a letter to put these people on formal notice.”
Officials say the letter will state that if the violators don’t put their trash in an approved container or bag, the town’s workers will not pick it up.
Violators will also be cited to City Court and fined $50 for each day they are not in compliance with the existing ordinance.
Raines said he thinks the city’s existing ordinance is enough to deal with the current problems, but that more specific language probably should be added for clarification.
“Just to eliminate any confusion or argument in the future, it probably would be helpful to go back into the [existing] ordinance to specify things,” he said.
Raines said he will draft language for the proposed changes to the ordinance for the board’s consideration at its March 12 meeting.
Information from Chattanooga Times Free Press
