Fairfield residents can dispose of yard waste in multiple ways

FAIRFIELD – Fairfield residents have multiple opportunities in the coming days to dispose of their yard waste.

Ever since the city closed its compost site on South 20th Street earlier this summer, the streets department has invited residents on select dates to bring their yard waste to the street department’s maintenance shed at 1002 W. Jefferson Ave., and it’s hosting two drop-off days this weekend. From 7 a.m. to noon on Friday, Oct. 4 and Saturday, Oct. 5, residents can bring one pick-up load of yard waste to the maintenance shed. The city asks that this load should be no more than 4 feet by 4 feet by 8 feet, and for the limbs to be no more than 8 inches in diameter and 8 feet in length.

For residents who can’t transport their yard waste to the maintenance shed, the city will conduct its annual fall brush pick up starting Monday, Oct. 7. Residents are asked to leave their yard waste in a neat pile near the curb (but not on the street) so city staff can put it into a wood chipper. The city asks that residents observe the same size limits as the two drop-off days, with limbs no larger than 8 inches in diameter and 8 feet in length. Brush should be placed away from poles, fences, trees and water shut-offs. City staff will begin collecting yard waste at 7 a.m. Oct. 7 and will not make a second trip.

Finally, residents should know that the city council is working on a plan for residents to begin dropping off yard waste on a regular basis once again, but the kinks might not be worked out until spring. At its meeting on Sept. 23, the council passed the first reading of an ordinance to establish a new yard waste ticket, which residents could purchase when they want to drop off pick-up loads of yard waste.

The ordinance states that half a pick-up truck load (an area 4 feet by 4 feet by 4 feet) would cost $12.50, while a full pick-up truck load (4 feet by 4 feet by 8 feet) would cost $25. The ordinance states that this would apply “for Fairfield residents only on specified dates.”

Fairfield City Administrator Doug Reinert said these fees are necessary to defray costs associated with yard waste handling such as the equipment involved, potentially hiring more staff, and perhaps installing more infrastructure. For instance, he said that if the city were to re-open the compost site, it would likely need to be staffed during its open hours, and that would require building a climate-controlled shack for the employee and supplying a restroom.

“We’re trying to figure out the logistics, and it’s not going to happen overnight,” Reinert said.

Reinert said he’s aware that many people are upset over the closure of the compost site.

“And I don’t blame them,” he said. “I’m affected by this as well. I have leaves and limbs, too. Our primary focus is that this compost site is here to serve citizens, not to serve contractors. We had signs that said ‘no contractors,’ but they were dumping anyway.”

Reinert said he doesn’t see Fairfield’s compost site ever returning to the old rules where the gate was left open for anyone to dump. He said it was abused too much under those rules, and now it’s time to “reset and clean up.”