Solid waste ordinance amendments coming to Saluda 

 

SALUDA—City Manager Jon Cannon will prepare a new Solid Waste Ordinance Amendment to present to the Board of Commissioners during the August City meeting. The new amendment will focus on an issue where trash bins were being left out on the sidewalk and street in the Historic Downtown area well after the trash pickup crew had emptied the bins.  

As it stands, Cannon said that the Solid Waste Ordinance does not contain a clause that allows the City to enforce residents or businesses to remove their bins. The current issue is that bins are being put out on Monday mornings, the bins are typically emptied in the downtown area between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., and the bins are then left out until late in the day and in the worst cases until Tuesday mornings. Cannon said that part of the problem is that several of the businesses that they are experiencing issues with are not open on Mondays and that is why the bins are left out until employees arrive on Tuesday mornings.    

Mayor Fred Baisden said that 90 percent of the problem is coming from one business. Creation of the new ordinance would give the City legal precedence to enforce the pickup and proper removal of cans. Mayor Pro-temp Stan Walker said, “I think that after the cans get hauled off a few times and they have to pay to have them returned they will quit.”  

The new amendment will include language written into the ordinance that will include the deadline to have bins removed from the street as well as the stipulations and penalties that will be enforced if businesses fail to comply.  

The official amendment will be proposed to the Board in the August meeting but several early ideas were put forward in regards to it. After discussion with several members of the public that were present, Councilman Paul Marion suggested that businesses be required to have the emptied bins removed by 10:00 a.m. on Mondays, as that would give owners several hours after the pickup timeline and is before the 11:00 a.m. lunch rush starts.  

Mayor Pro-Temp Stan Walker added, “Don’t make the fees cheap. I think it should be $50 per can to have them returned.” 

Cannon said that he would have the new ordinance prepared for the next meeting where the board can review and make any necessary changes to it. 

By Samuel Robinson

Sam.robinson@tryondailybulletin.com