Citizens speak out about need for curbside collection

Editor's note: The Humboldt City Council article in today's Humboldt Independent print edition contains an error. Brad Boughey was misidentified as Brad Duffy. The article has been corrected in its entirety below. The Humboldt Independent strives for accuracy and apologizes for the error of fact.

By KENT THOMPSON
It appears that there may be quite a few Humboldt residents who prescribe to the idea “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” And, they want a right to go through that treasure.
About one dozen citizens filled the Humboldt City Council chambers on Monday to address council members on the matter. While only a handful spoke, they held the consensus that the city’s curbside collection policy for city “junk days” not be changed.
The comments came after the Council approved at its March 4 meeting to not allow city curbside pickup of junk items and require citizens to deliver the unwanted larger items to the city’s recycling center at 1313 Taft St. S.
The first to speak was Brad Boughey, 1112 9th St. S.
Boughey had a reasoned full-page letter typed out that he read to the Council.
“I’m here today to voice my grievance about the recent decision by the city council to end curbside pickup (of junk),” Boughey said.
He said the reduction of services while maintaining current tax levels concerns himself and many other citizens he has talked to.
“This change will negatively impact individuals of low-income households, those on fixed incomes, landlords, the elderly and those who are physically impaired. Those who work regular 9-5 business hours will not be able to drop off their junk during the suggested limited hours,” Boughey said. He added that not everyone owns a pickup and a trailer.
Boughey said the current policy benefits landlords, who get renters to take out their large junk items to the curb, rather than having the items laying around on the property, creating unsanitary and potentially hazardous conditions.
Boughey said he sympathizes with city workers who may believe they are endangered by having to manually pick up junk items. He said the city and local law enforcement can be more aggressive in enforcing the junk day rules in an effort to mitigate safety concerns.
Reed Burres, speaking as a young person who returned to his hometown to live and work, says the “repurposing” of items plays an important part for community members who don’t have a way of disposing of larger items.
Gary Naeve of Humboldt asked about the cost savings that were reported in the Humboldt Independent after the March 4 meeting.
Humboldt City Administrator Cole Bockelmann confirmed that the approximately $6,000 cost savings did include hourly wages for city street employees doing the work.
The actual estimated cost savings would be $5,436.44, according to the formula Bockelmann used to calculate costs.
“The guys who are working with the junk pickup will be working anyway, so I don’t know if the wages (savings) are a fair comparison,” Naeve said.
“The fact is, those guys have other things to do and to spend the better part of two weeks picking up junk is not the best use of their time,” Second Ward Councilman John Sleiter said.
Sleiter was not present for the March 4 meeting, but declared that he was fully behind the shift to have curbside pickup eliminated and have residents haul their own junk items to the city recycling center.
Sleiter said he didn’t want to jeopardize the health of city workers by handling contaminated items.
“We may lose our leaf compost pile because people put non-compostable garbage in it. We have people dumping paint and garbage at the city brush site behind the city street shed. We may only have 5 percent of people not following the rules, but it ruins it for everyone,” Sleiter said.
“We’ve had people put paint cans between mattresses and items that we can’t legally take to the landfill,” Sleiter said of past junk days experiences.
Robert Clapp, 1204 9th St. S., asked why the city and/or police couldn’t enforce the existing rules for junk days and fine violators.
“By having a junk days in the spring you are saving trash that might end up in lakes, streams and the woods in the area,” Clapp said.
“I’ve had people contact me and they are concerned that there may be a congestion problem in unloading at the recycling center. They wanted to know how many roll-off garbage bins we have on hand?” at large Council member Jeff Harklau said.
Council member Joel Goodell said he would favor revisiting the issue if assurances could be made regarding worker safety.
“I say if there is something that shouldn’t be out there or someone is trying to conceal something they shouldn’t be, just leave the whole mess and let the resident know that they will be responsible for removing the junk,” Goodell said.
A.J. Flurey, who has served as the city’s nuisance abatement contractor the past few years, said he would be willing to work with the city if there are properties that need cleaned up after junk days, but said it would require an increased amount of coordination between himself and city.
Goodell said he would bring the matter up at the next council meeting for possible consideration.