Ferdinand waste center abuse must stop

Ferdinand — Ferdinand officials are concerned that continued abuse of the yard waste collection area on East 23rd Street will force them to close it down.

“Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve seen residential trash, shrubs with root balls still attached, and, most recently, treated lumber scraps were left there—all of which must be hand-sorted and removed,” said Ferdinand Town Manager Marc Steczyk. “We are at one of our peak times of the year and, with limited staffing, we simply cannot afford to pull employees off of necessary tasks to do completely unnecessary work.

Steczyk explained that the 23rd Street yard waste collection area is meant to be a convenience to the town’s residents, but, if the abuse of the policy continues, they will have no other option than to recommend to the Town Council that the facility be closed to public access.

Yard waste, according to the Town’s policy is limited to grass, weeds, grass clippings, leaves, hedge trimmings, organic plant materials, and other natural growth generated from the care and maintenance of gardens and yards. In no event should residents drop off trash, lumber, tree stumps, tree trunks, or limbs cut by a commercial tree trimming service.