Town dumpster pictures are over filled
At the last Flomaton Town Council meeting the discussion over the dumpster located behind town hall was discussed because of the abuse and illegal dumping occurring. This problem has been discussed again and it's time the town either clamped down or take the dumpster away.
I personally don't see any need for the dumpster since every residence in Flomaton has a garbage can and every residence has access to a trash truck that runs twice a month.
It appears we have a problem with people who don't live in Flomaton bringing their trash and household garbage to the dumpster.
The sign in front of the dumpster is pretty clear: It's for Flomaton residents only; no dumping allowed from businesses or commercial operations; no household garbage, tires, electronics or hazardous items.
The sign does say it's under surveillance 24 hours a day and fines of up to $500 can be issued for illegal dumping.
Councilman Buster Crapps said they need to bust people dumping stuff in the dumpster that have no business there and hand out $500 fines and it may slow down the problem.
Utilities Superintendent Shaun Moye said 80 percent of the dumping is coming from Florida, which is illegal to dump in the town dumpster.
The first step the council agreed to do is place cameras around the dumpster that will be monitored 24-7 by the dispatchers inside town hall. The term 'monitored' is key because if they see somebody dumping a TV they can call the police. The town can also look back at the camera to get tape of license plates and possible identities of people illegally dumping.
I guess giving surveillance and cameras a shot first may be the right thing to do, but I still wonder why we need the dumpster in the first place.
There is nothing a resident who lives within the town limits of Flomaton can't dispose of at their house. We all have those big blue containers. We all have access to the trash truck that runs the first and third Tuesdays of every month. Got an old couch or something that won't fit in your blue container, put it at the curb and call town hall. Town employees ride around town with the trash truck, but if you call them and tell them you have a load, they'll make sure they come by your house.
So, I don't understand why we need the dumpster in the first place, unless we are going to keep letting residents who live outside the town limits of Flomaton use it free of charge when the taxpayers of Flomaton flip the bill.
It costs the town about $400 every time the dumpster is hauled off to the dump. Moye said it probably averages being hauled three times a month. Do the math, that comes to $14,400 a year the town of Flomaton is paying to have the free dumpster service behind town hall.
I drove by Saturday afternoon and the thing was packed full. I got out and looked. There was a lot of household garbage and there were other bags of who knows what. It was so packed I don't know what was underneath but my bet there was a TV or two buried deep.
I saw one sheet of plywood and a mattress set that wouldn't have fit into that blue garbage can all Flomaton residents have at home. So, I have to assume all (if not most) of this crap is coming from people who don't live inside the Flomaton town limits.
I also checked and if you live inside the town limits of Flomaton and have a mattress set or old couch it can be put to the curb and be picked up.
I've heard the argument that a lot of Flomaton residents like having the dumpster there. I don't know why anybody would want to haul something to town hall when they could haul it to the front of their house.
I heard the argument that the trash truck stays broken. For $14,400 per year I bet you could buy another trash truck and put money in the bank.
While I still don't know why we need the free dumpster for Flomaton residents who get garbage and trash pickup at their houses, if the town wants to keep the dumpster it needs to get those cameras installed and start issuing heavy fines to people who don't live in Flomaton using the service and even Flomaton residents dumping illegal items.
Let me run a few names in the newspaper of people getting slapped with a $500 fine for illegal dumping in the dumpster and I'll bet it will stop.
