At the April meeting of the Elgin City Council, Street Superintendent Donnie Poulsen, Jr., told them someone has begun disposing pallets and tires at the dump.
The dump is meant for disposing grass clippings, tree limbs and other similar lawn and garden debris.
Made aware of the situation, Mayor Mike Schmitt and council members agreed something would need to be done if people continue to violate the rules of the dump.
One suggestion made was to keep access to the dump locked, making anyone who has items to dispose of first come to City Hall to get a key. But, that hasn’t worked well in the past because, according to city officials there have been instances where individuals have taken the key and gone and made a key of their own.
Another issue is time: People often use the dump after work or on weekends when City Hall is closed. If the gate is locked at these times, then that creates a whole new set of problems.
Schmitt said if problems continue, the City will have to consider setting a limited number of days and hours for the dump to be open.
The dump problem has a simple solution which will allow public access to continue — don’t dump items that don’t belong there.
With temperatures warming up, the dump will be used more. The situation at the dump will be monitored closely. It’s an issue which is sure to be reviewed again when the council meets in May.
