At the most recent Perry City Council meeting, a hot-button topic was the setting of this year’s open burning dates and procedures.

The topic has generated a great deal of discussion in Council meetings and among the public, with some wanting to ban yard waste burning altogether. However, the Council feels restricting the dates it can be burned was a good compromise. Backyard burning of yard waste is permitted from 10 a.m. to sundown, between the dates of October 28th and November 19th.

Additionally, burning is restricted to the backyard of private property, and must be done at least 30 feet from any building not owned by the individual doing the burning. City Administrator Sven Peterson also asks people to be conscientious of others when burning. “Be a good neighbor. Try not to burn wet leaves and things that’ll cause a lot of smoke. Because that’s really where the issues come from, is that a lot of smoke coming off of a big pile of leaves or something like that. Just try and be smart about it, and don’t burn green foliage and things like that.”

Peterson adds, the open burning policy is for yard waste only. People are not to burn garbage within city limits under any circumstance.