Courtesy Photo
Furniture and other illegal items are being left at the city wood and tree piles at higher rates, prompting city officials to close the area at night. Previously, users could access the area 24/7.
Courtesy Photo
Signs at the tree and wood pile entrance clearly state what can and cannot by dumped at the city’s tree and grass piles.
City cuts access hours after continued illegal dumping
As of Friday, Imperial’s tree and grass piles are now closed from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Both of the free separate dumping piles at the city’s transfer station site have been loaded up with trash that is not accepted in either of them, according to city officials.
Items including mattresses, plastic bags, regular household waste, painted/stained wood and plywood have been found.
The illegal dumping is happening both during the day and sometimes in the middle of the night.
There has been a history of problems at the tree and grass piles, but city employees are reporting there has been a significant uptick in items illegally dumped in the past year.
City Administrator Tyler Pribbeno, Mayor Craig Loeffler and the city council were faced with making a decision.
“The issue is that our guys have to then spend their time and equipment picking out those items, taking them to the transfer station and disposing of them properly, which costs hundreds or sometimes thousands of dollars, depending on the issue,” Pribbeno explained.
There are currently three cameras near the tree and grass piles to help catch the illegal dumping.
The Imperial Police Department officers have been issuing citations to offenders.
First offense will be $150 and every subsequent offense will cost $500 in fines, he said.
“I believe it’s been three citations but four incidents. I cited one person two times for dumping twice in like a 20 minute span,” Imperial Police Sgt. Chad Ostmeyer said.
“So a total of four violations have been cited so far,” he added.
There are signs out at the piles that explain what can and can’t be dumped in both English and Spanish.
City officials encourage community members to stop by and read the signs before leaving anything.
“If they have any questions, don’t hesitate to get a hold of one of the people at the transfer station or call the city office,” Pribbeno said.
The 12-hour closing of the dumping piles is going to be used as a temporary fix. In the past, the tree and wood piles had 24-hour access.
“The public can report illegal dumpings. We encourage the public to help us monitor and patrol these areas,” Pribbeno said.
“The quicker we can get it back to normal, the sooner we can open it up 24/7,” he added.