Permits can be purchased at city hall

By Robert Williams

Editor

The Vergas Yard Waste Site was reopened after a unanimous city council vote during a special meeting on Wednesday, April 8.

The site officially reopened on Monday, April 13. It will be open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., for permit holders only.

Users must purchase a permit before using the site and permits can be purchased at the city office Monday-Thursday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or at the Vergas Liquor Store any day of the week. Hours are  Monday-Thursday 4-9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Permits cost $65.

If there is a burning restriction in place, or if the pile becomes too large, the site may be temporarily closed until restrictions are lifted or conditions improve. Another potential restriction is a seasonal operating calendar. The waste site may be limited to use from April 1-October 30.

The vote came after a lengthy discussion by the Streets/Sidewalks/Yard Waste committee narrowed options down to three potential scenarios on Tuesday, March 31.

Those options were: keeping the current system allowing both residents and non-resident permit holders to use the facility; closing Woody Debris Disposal that would eliminate brush and tree waste acceptance while maintaining leaf and grass composting or restricting the facility to city residents.

“The reason we’re having this discussion is because we’ve had some problems with operating the site, primarily with the brush disposal, not so much with the lawn and grass clippings, leaves and plant material,” said Council Member Bruce Albright.

The problems culminated in a five-alarm fire last December when a large brush pile caught flame. The pile had accumulated to a difficult size to control after a lengthy burning ban.

“We had a lot of material there; it got out of hand,” said Albright. 

The fire ended up having to be extinguished multiple times over a couple days.

Subsequently, the Streets/Sidewalks/Yard Waste committee decided to close the site and complete an analysis of how to proceed in the future. The city attorney and pollution control were both consulted on future operations.

The permit fee also has a targeted use for a future payloader replacement. Clerk-Treasurer Julie Lammers reported the yard waste operation took in nearly $19,000 last year with operating costs of just shy of $14,000 resulting in a $5,000 profit. 

“After finding out how many permits that we sold I think it’s important to keep it open,” said Maintenance Operator Matt Engebretson.

The city sets aside $7,000 annually for loader replacement.

“Bringing that money into town helps us reach that goal, which isn’t in the budget any place else,” said Albright.

Closing the site temporarily when the pile gets too large was a recommendation of Engebretson, who expounded on some of the materials that have been illegally dumped at the site including: mattresses, couches and batteries. The front end of a car was once dumped at the site.

“You name it I’ve seen it,” he said.

Members of the business community have also voiced that the site brings potential customers to Vergas.

Sales of permits are coming from around the area, not just the city. Townships have also reported that material ended up in road ditches or other places people could just dump the refuse while the site was closed.

Albright also discussed continuing violations could bring more restrictions or force the site to be closed permanently. Violations include permit compliance, illegal dumping and inappropriate materials. The committee expressed particular concern about a recent violation involving tree stumps, noting that while violations occur, they do not want to penalize the majority of compliant users for the actions of a few violators.

Council member James Stenger stated the committee and council will reevaluate the site later this year hoping that users will help take ownership of the site and maintain a viable service in Vergas.