A clarification has been issued as to who can participate in the upcoming Morgan County Clean Up Day.
According to an announcement by the Morgan County Commissioners this morning, residents of Morgan County except those living in the City of Jacksonville as well as anyone with a delinquent account with GFL Environmental may participate in the clean-up event next week.
The County Commissioners were contacted by GFL Environmental officials recently who said the exclusion was included in the original tipping fee agreement and is now being enforced.
According to the announcement, you can be a rural resident in Morgan County without an account with GFL and still participate, only residents of the City of Jacksonville are being excluded.
In October of last year, the city council agreed to enter into a contract with GFL after the company purchased Area Waste and Trash Queen, in an effort by the council to lower the cost of trash service for residents. Waste service rates more than doubled in the wake of the buyout earlier last year.
As part of that agreement, the city’s multi-day clean-up day event at the city garage was done away with, and GFL customers in the city are allowed to place a pile of trash approximately the size of a couch on their curb during a pick week this spring.
Jacksonville is the only municipality in Morgan County that has entered into an agreement with GFL for service to date.
Last fall the Village of South Jacksonville declined to continue agreement talks after a GFL representative said the village would have to draw up an ordinance requiring trash service pick up through the designated waste hauler or they would be contacted by code enforcement and possibly fined.
South Jacksonville has no ordinance governing waste pick up currently. The City of Jacksonville had ordinances on the books at the time of the agreement, but those do not specify waste must be picked up by a designated hauler, they only specify that trash cannot be allowed to accumulate on a property.
Morgan County Clean Up Day is on Saturday, May 6th from 8:00 am to Noon. Morgan County Residents, except those living in Jacksonville, can drop off trash at the Morgan County Transfer Facility located at 2263 State Highway 104.
Acceptable Materials:
Municipal solid waste
Yard Waste -no plastic bags (containerized or in paper bags)
Grass
Leaves
Recyclables:
Cardboard
Paper & newsprint
Aluminum cans
Plastics
Metals
NOT Acceptable Materials:
- Hazardous wastes
- Contaminated soils
- Car & truck batteries
- Tree & brush cuttings
- Appliances (White Goods)
- Asbestos
- Tires
- E-wastes
- TVs
- Construction and demolition debris