City takes aim at illegal trash disposal
Feb. 6—It's a problem all over the county and not uncommon across the country, but City Manager Regina McDuffie hopes to appeal to Brunswick residents to keep the city clean by not disposing of their trash on the sidewalks and medians.
"This is a huge problem not just for the cleanliness of the city, but it's costing money it shouldn't," McDuffie said.
One would think that putting a stop to the act would be as simple as looking at who's creating these illegal refuse piles and ticketing them. But McDuffie said it's hard to connect instances of illegal dumping with a person. There's usually little in the way of evidence, she said. Just because there's a bunch of trash in front of someone's home doesn't mean the city can prove that the owner or resident was to blame.
Many times, the piles are simply items a homeowner or renter didn't want to take the trouble dealing with. Large piles of junk are typically due to landlords who dump a whole house full of possessions on the side of the road after an eviction.
It's not unusual to see old mattresses, furniture, appliances and other household items that they can't fit in a trash can placed on the sidewalks or the medians.
By and large, there's no reason for city residents either. Part of the municipal government's contract with Republic Services includes one bulk pickup a month for each household. Residents of the city can call 912-267-3703 to schedule a bulk pickup. Republic will take away anything that can fit in a 6-foot square pile, including furniture and appliances other than chlorofluorocarbon-containing equipment like refrigerators, air conditioners and dehumidifiers.
Anything not covered under the bulk pickup program can be taken to one of three drop-off locations for a flat $35 fee for a truck or trailer load — 550 Young Lane, 5020 Habersham St. and behind the farmers market on Demere Road, near the roundabout at the intersection with Frederica Road.
"There are locations out there, they just cost money per load, and people don't want to pay," McDuffie said.
Republic charges the city when it picks up piles of refuse for which a pickup wasn't scheduled. The city pays a rate of $75 per instance, which adds up fast. In 2022, Public Works Director Garrow Alberson said Republic billed the city for $155,000 for illegal disposal pickup.
"It's a very substantial problem that taxpayers are having to bear," McDuffie said.
She'd prefer citizens clean up after themselves, but McDuffie said she's working on some means of improving enforcement on the city's end. One is a grant to pay for cameras the city can place around town. If the city gets the grant, cameras would be installed in locations advantageous to law enforcement — at major intersections and in high-crime areas — but McDuffie said they would likely help with his issue as well.
Sheriff's deputies have to witness evictions, McDuffie says, so another option is to ask the Glynn County Sheriff's Office to report evictions to the city would allow officials to follow up to ensure junk piles are cleaned up.
"We are very concerned about illegal disposal and really want contractors, landlords and residents to take responsibility ... and clean up our city," McDuffie said.
