FAYETTEVILLE MAYOR Michael Whisenant and the city alderman updated the city’s garbage and cart replacement policy to better clean the city.
The city will make available a 96-gallon cart to all residents within the city limits. The carts are supposed to remain with the homes.
The updated policy, located on the city’s website, stated that residents are responsible for purchasing a new garbage cart if they need an additional one. If one is purchased, an additional sanitation charge will be added to the resident’s bill each month.
The proper care and security of the garbage carts are under the charge of the residents. Fees will be charged to them to replace garbage carts that are damaged or destroyed, other than via normal use.
According to the policy, the city will no longer collect loose bags from the ground as the city is not responsible for loose trash spilling out of the truck or garbage cart. Prior to trash collection, all trash must be bagged and in the garbage cart with a closed lid. If a resident possesses more garbage than can fit in the closed-lid cart, he or she is advised to buy another cart.
In the policy, city officials asked residents to put the carts within 2 feet of the curb and at least 3 feet away from each other and any other obstructions. Whole boxes should not be stuffed inside the garbage cart, and all boxes placed inside the cart should be torn down. Overfilling or tightly packing items in the garbage cart will lead to damage, the policy said. Materials such as dirt, sod, rocks, concrete, construction debris, mulch, oil, paint, hot ashes, dead animals weighing more than 10 pounds, etc. should not be inside the garbage carts.
Residents are also encouraged to periodically clean their carts to reduce the scent of foul odors.
Whisenant said the new policy was introduced because extra garbage was found on the streets and sidewalks.
“What had happened recently is we are finding that there’s a lot of extra garbage that should have been put in cans, that’d been outside,” Whisenant said.
Whisenant also said he thinks the majority of people will comply with the updated policy.
“We hope to get some better optic when people are going through town and seeing less bags of garbage and other garbage that’s out on a continual basis,” Whisenant said.
Whisenant also worked with new City Administrator Kevin Owens, to create a grace period for the new policy.
The updated policy also reminded Fayetteville residents that the Fayetteville-Lincoln County Recycling Center can be found at 705 South Main Ave., where people can take any plastics (#1 and #2), plastic shopping bags, newspapers, magazines, books, shredded paper, cardboard, aluminum cans, cell phones, computers, and latex paint cans.
“When you make the effort to separate and recycle your trash rather than throw it away, you are helping the environment,” the policy said. GN
