City approves return of alley-side trash pick up for some
City commissioners approved a measure to return alley-side trash pick up for some residents at a Feb. 9 meeting.
The measure only allows for alley-side pickup in certain areas of the city, and will go into effect March 2.
Alley-side pick up was a norm in the city until last year. City commissioners moved all trash pick up street-side because of bad winter weather in 2013-14, according to documents provided by the city. The change was met with disapproval for some residents, prompting officials to reverse the decision.
At the commission meeting, several residents sent written communications to the city and spoke in favor of the change. For them, lugging trash to the front was a major inconvenience. Others said it put a damper on their quality of life.
"Trash bins and pick up in the back of houses is a disappearing lifestyle," said Ryan Douglass, who lives on South Kinney Street. "One thing we've noticed since the change was made is that there's more (littered) trash in the front of the lawn instead of the alley. I've been shoveling my yard now just to remove trash."
Two waste management employees spoke against the measure. They said traversing icy alleyways can be hazardous. One said that the in the winter time, alleyways are typically more slippery and are usually the last to be plowed. The other issue was driver safety. Another said he and his crew have already fallen and been bruised up a bit this year from icy alleys.
Certain alleyways were not approved, however. These alleyways include those with smaller turn radii, dead-end streets and right of ways not owned by the city.
Other business
Mount Pleasant City Commissioners went into closed session after the meeting, but did not disclose the purpose for the discussion. Pursuant to the Open Meetings Act, Sec. 7(1), a public body must "disclose the purpose or purposes for calling the closed session shall be entered into the minutes of the meeting at which the vote is taken."
City Clerk Jeremy Howard told Central Michigan Life after the commission meeting the reason for the discussion was to seek "attorney opinion." Howard would not elaborate further.
