Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
January 22, 2016 1:51 p.m.
Fernandina Beach City Manager Dale Martin recently informed city commissioners that because of ongoing abuse, the city is considering closing its recycle site at the south end of 6th Street off Lime Street. Despite signage and other attempts to stop improper dumping at the site, the offenders continue to dump materials that overflow the recycle bins or that cannot be recycled with cardboard and glass.
The photo below shows what Monday morning at the recycle site looked like when city workers reported to work. According to Jeremiah Glisson, the city’s Director of Fleet Services who also oversees the recycling program, last year the city spent 800 staff hours cleaning up the mess that scofflaws left behind. With other priorities demanding staff time, such a situation cannot continue.
Glisson explained that the recycle bins currently located at the site are the largest that can be accommodated while still allowing room for them to be serviced.
City Commissioner Len Kreger, who also oversees the Keep Nassau Beautiful program, said that the county also maintains recycling sites, so that if the city site is closed, there are other options available to local citizens:
West Nassau Landfill : 46026 Landfill Rd. Callahan, Fl 32011
Bryceville: 7282 Motes Rd, Bryceville, FL 32009
Goodbread Dr.: 86142 Goodbread Drive, Yulee, Fl 32097
Bailey Rd.: 3163 Bailey Rd, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
Each site has (2) two closed-top (5) five-compartment recycle bins, which hold clear, brown and green glass, newspaper and aluminum. Plastics are accepted at the West Nassau, Bailey Rd and Goodbread Drive sites. All sites except the Bryceville site are ADA accessible.
How unpleasant it must be to report to work on a Monday morning only to find that someone has left a box of dirty diapers for you to clean up. And that did happen Monday.
Editor’s Note: Suanne Z. Thamm is a native of Chautauqua County, NY, who moved to Fernandina Beach from Alexandria,VA, in 1994. As a long time city resident and city watcher, she provides interesting insight into the many issues that impact our city. We are grateful for Suanne’s many contributions to the Fernandina Observer.
Entropy…. Need to go sailing again – while there is still time.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entropy
I have used this facility a few times, and the dumping problem appears to be caused by the city’s inability or unwillingness to empty the containers on anything resembling a regular basis. There seems to be a long lag time when the containers are not emptied and the waste on the ground builds up during that lag time. The containers get filled up, are not emptied, and people leave cardboard on the ground as a result.
Perhaps some well placed survellience cameras would deter such activity
Surely the solution is to empty the containers regularly, not close the facility. It is needed. Let’s make it work!
Agree with the previous two comments
The recycled material has value in addition to reducing waste going to the dump. Can we assume that the company providing the empty containers is doing this for free? Will they manage any abuse for free?
A security system could be implemented using camera system for small money. Why not clean up this baby rather than throw her out?