- In order to get rid of trash dumps, cleaning illegal dump sites is priority at Macon-Bibb County.
- Various steps are being taken by the Commissioners and the installation of a camera system highly efficient is priority.
“Being trashy” is the new term given by Commissioner Valerie Wynn who calls people who do illegal dumping by the name. He has voted to spend $500,000 to counter illegal dumping by adding some extra manpower to the cleaning of the sites. It is not the first time the town to face this issue.
“It’s ridiculous. It doesn’t make any sense. Makes the neighborhood look bad,” said Chris Jackson about a prominent illegal dump site near Pinson Street in south Macon.
Chris Jackson also highlights that every time he visits his friends nearby he just can avoid the site and he says that it is really good that he is just visiting. “I don’t want to live around that. Yup. Yeah, they need to do something about that,” Jackson said.
No matter how many times the town is cleaned up it always ends up in the same conditions.
“No matter how much we clean up, this area in particular, people just continue to dump,” said Commissioner Bill Howell.
On Tuesday even Commissioner Virgil Watkins proposed spending $500,000 to the contract gig workers to clean up the trash in meeting where Macon-Bibb County Commission was mentioned.
“Honestly, I look forward to getting them up in certain areas where we do have the problem. This is one of those areas, and you know, beware,” he said.
It was also noted by Mayor Lester Miller and Commissioner Howell that the town had installed cameras earlier but they disappeared. He also added that they are planning for new cameras which are sturdy and high so that people can’t reach them.
Chris Jackson also offered another suggestion that will be more permanent.
“I think that’ll be a good idea. I think that’ll be a real good idea,” Jackson said.
“Put something here,” he said. “Because the street has nothing going on right here. Nothing going on, so they’re going to dump it here every time.”
It was also discussed that after Commission approves it they will send to Code Enforcement Director JT Ricketson to start figuring out which camera system fits to the town with the help of staff.
The main reason behind people dumping trash is that they aren’t aware about how they can get rid of bulk waste.
There are two convenience centers one on 11th Street in Downtown Macon near the old dump entrance which is offered for people to use free of charge. And the other is open only on Thursday to Sunday which is only for people living in Macon-Bibb County. Both of them are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The second one is at 4214 Fulton Mill Road behind Animal Welfare.
