The City of Jefferson will no longer provide semi-annual clean-up weeks.
The City Council approved at their regular meeting on September 22nd the first reading to change an ordinance from the City providing clean-up weeks to a free dumpster method. The City is now offering a year-round service that allows residents to rent 1½-4 yard dumpsters for free for up to one week. Residents are allowed up to four-yards of garbage for free, and anything beyond that will be a standard dumpster rental charge. Appliances and other electronics must still be placed at the curbside and not in the dumpster and will be charged a standard fee.
City Administrator Mike Palmer says a four-yard dumpster is a better option than during the clean-up weeks where residents were only allowed three-yards of garbage to be picked up for free. He urges residents to utilize their regular 95-gallon blue garbage containers as well.
“If you have some boards or something, cut them up and fit them in there little by little. Those blue containers, four of those equal a two-yard dumpster. It’s a lot of material that you can fit in over time and it doesn’t cost any more to do that.”
Palmer points out some of the reasons why the City felt comfortable making this kind of change.
“We know other communities that have done it. It would eliminate a lot of the hazardous operations of handling things. In the past, we’ve had people put out bags, they may put bags out neatly, but then people come through and tear the bags open and just leave everything out. I think this will be a really good change.”
The Council waived the second and third required readings of the ordinance as it is now in effect. However, the City will not provide a fall clean-up week this year, due to the change. You can see the ordinance by clicking the link below.