SALEM Junk from nonresidents puts annual city cleanup in jeopardy

A councilwoman is proposing that fines be imposed to discourage the practice.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
SALEM -- The city's annual cleanup of household junk is being jeopardized by nonresidents' coming in and depositing items, which is inflating the undertaking's cost, officials say.
The city was forced to pay about $10,400 more this year for the cleanup than the $15,000 that was estimated, service Director Joe Julian said Tuesday.
Some of the added cost was caused by the city's not holding a cleanup last year, leaving people with more items to discard.
But officials also are convinced the expense grew because of imported junk.
Julian said that the company contracted to do the work reported some houses having many more items than normal set out on the curbside for pickup.
Councilwoman Mary Lou Popa, D-1st, said constituents told her they saw nonresidents bringing things in and leaving them at homes of friends or relatives who are city residents.
"It's a problem, but I don't know how you would police it," Julian said of the practice.
The city can't afford to pay more for the cleanup because of the problem, though. So if it continues, the cleanup's future is in jeopardy, Julian said.
Solutions considered
Popa, a longtime supporter of the annual cleanup, said she would like to punish nonresident junk-dumpers.
"There should be a fine for bringing trash into the city" to be gathered for the cleanup, Popa said. "It should be looked into."
Popa said she's not sure how much the fine should be. As for identifying violators, she said she believes city residents would be willing to report them if they thought the practice would lead to the cleanup's eventually being discontinued.
Another strategy might be imposing limits on the amount of items that can be left on the curb in front of a home, Julian said.
That would discourage city residents from allowing outsiders to bring items in, he added.
"I don't think that would work," said Popa, saying it would be difficult to enforce such a rule.
Before the next cleanup, the city will advertise the fact that only junk from city residents' homes is allowed, Julian said.
He said he's hopeful that once more people are aware of the problem and realize that it could bring an end to the cleanup, they'll be more willing to abide by the rules and ensure that their neighbors do the same.