Trash along the streets continues to be a problem within Yazoo City, and one alderman said some of the problems in his ward does not come from littering but from the way some garbage is collected.
Ward 2 Alderman Andre Lloyd said he looked into some of the complaints he has received concerning trash in certain areas of his ward. He said he found most of the trash outside local stores is not from people littering but from the way Waste Management collects the garbage from the dumpsters. The trash from the business dumpsters often finds its way through the adjoining streets and neighborhoods.
“Trash is everywhere near the stores,” Lloyd said. “But I watched the dump trucks, and they are wasting trash everywhere. The trash goes all over the area. They are (collecting) it, and it is going everywhere but where it should be.”
Waste Management handles garbage collection from privately-owned dumpsters, typically used by businesses. To be clear, WastePro handles garbage collection for the citizens of Yazoo City. The two companies are two separate agencies with different operations.
Mayor Diane Delaware suggested that Lloyd communicate with Waste Management to curtail the problem.
In other garbage news, a city resident asked the city council to cancel her garbage collection bill due to the fact that her garbage has not been collected by the city in over a year.
“I live on top of a hill, and where I live, there is nowhere for the garbage truck to turn to get the garbage,” the resident said. “I have been taking my garbage off since Thanksgiving of 2018, and I have been paying (for garbage pickup). I am trying to see what I can do about getting it stopped from me having to pay it or maybe even be reimbursed.”
Since the request was made in the public comment portion of the city council meeting, Delaware said she would “get back” with the concerned citizen.
Also, the idea spearheaded by Alderman Sir Johnathan Rucker about a credit given to citizens for garbage that is not collected remains on the table but was not discussed during the recent city council meeting. Rucker made his initial suggestion last November after he received complaints from citizens that their garbage was not collected within a timely manner.
With about 3,766 garbage accounts within the city, Rucker said a credit to all citizens would cost about $102,279. During the November board meeting, Delaware said she agreed that there have been issues with garbage collection within the city. But she said garbage was collected. She also suggested that a meeting be held with WastePro officials.
During this month’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting, no new information was shared about the suggested meeting with WastePro.
