WILLMAR -- Steps will be taken to educate Willmar citizens about city garbage container regulations.
The educational effort is needed because the city has been receiving an unusually high number of complaints about garbage containers being left at the curb for long periods of time in violation of city ordinance.
Willmar City Council member Cindy Swenson said garbage containers are continually left for too long on the boulevard in a neighborhood of the Third Ward which she represents.
Swenson discussed the problem with the council's Community Development Committee Thursday afternoon.
Two garbage collection companies serving Willmar, West Central Sanitation and Willmar City Sanitation, were told in letters from Bruce Peterson, city planning and development director, that the city has been receiving an unusually high number of complaints about garbage containers sitting near the street for long periods. The letter said garbage container storage and negligence continue to be a city-wide problem.
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City ordinance allows garbage containers to be placed on the boulevard or an area adjacent to a public street after 8 p.m. on the day preceding the scheduled garbage pickup. The container must be removed by 8 p.m. on the day of the scheduled pickup, according to ordinance. The containers must be fully screened and kept on the side yard or rear yard of the residence, or kept in the garage.
Dan and Pam Nissen, part-owners of Willmar City Sanitation, and Don Williamson, owner of West Central Sanitation, told the committee they have no authority to enforce city ordinance. But they said they were willing to work with the city to educate customers.
After discussion, the committee directed Peterson to produce a highly-visible card to hang on the containers, spelling out city garbage container requirements.
In other business, the committee continued its discussion about revisions to the conditional use permit application process. Committee members want more information provided on the permit application.
Also, committee members discussed their preference for rehabilitation of older homes in the core parts of the city to meet the needs for low-income or workforce housing rather than construction of new, affordable housing.
Peterson said committee member Jim Dokken has raised the issue. Dokken did not attend the meeting.
Peterson said the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency has money available in its 2008-09 affordable housing plan for housing rehabilitation in the core cities.
