By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Mona will try to utilize a yard-waste facility this summer, similar to the ones that other communities in the county have, to help citizens dispose of grass clippings and tree trimmings.
Molli Graham, council member, and Lynn Ingram, city planning director, broached the issue with council members at meeting on Tuesday. They had discussed the idea in the city's monthly planning meeting.
"We discussed a yard waste dump area," said Graham.
A good place to begin the project would be the old dairy. The city owns that property, said Ingram.
Getting to the spot requires going across the railroad tracks but that should not be a problem for city residents.
Ingram said that in Eureka, Nephi and Levan there are places where such yard waste can be taken. Only recyclable plant material can be taken to such sites and he suggested that the lot where they were taken be sectioned off into two areas. One of those would be for plants, such as grass and leaves, and the other would be for tree limbs.
"If we are not going to let people put their garden waste in their garbage cans," said Jonathan Jones, council member, "then we need to offer them an alternative."
He said he, therefore, would support having a place where local residents could take their summer gardening waste.
The only concern that council members had with the proposal was the problem which would occur if people began to abuse the site by hauling household waste and other items that should be taken to the landfill to the site.
"If the residents abuse the privileged," said Mills, "we can always close it."
Tree limbs can be disposed of once a year, said Allen Pay, city water master and the JRDA landfill operator, by fire. The city would need to obtain a burning permit from the state and then the limbs could be burned.
"There is a short burn window every spring," he said. "There used to be one in the fall as well but that has, more than likely, disappeared forever."
People cannot use burn barrels for disposing of grass clippings any longer. They are now illegal, said Bill Mills, mayor. However, the city could get a permit each year from the state that would allow the city to burn the old limbs for the short two-month window.
"We can, at least, try," said Graham.
Frank Riding, council member, said that Nephi City did have some problems with their yard waste recycling area. For example, some folks forgot to take their grass clippings out of the plastic bag and that created problems with the process.
"Nephi City goes there to clean on a regular basis," said Pay. "It will take some work to maintain."
However, said Graham, the city was using an individual to help out with odd jobs the city needed done. That person could also add the city yard waste dump to the schedule of items he was going to oversee.
He could go to the site once a week and make certain that the site was tidy and maintained.
Mike Stringer, council member, said that he was concerned that the area being designated was too large without being better fenced. If refuse could be taken anywhere on the lot, it would become untidy.
However, there was some fencing on the lot. In addition, said Graham, signs could be posted which would help.
Council members agreed that signs could be used at the site to inform residents of the types of garden waste which could be left there and to inform users where the plants should be placed apart from the tree limbs.
The distance from the city should also not be a problem, said Mills.
There is a place near the power plant where some folks are now taking tree limbs and other items and dropping them off. Past the cattle guard, the place shows evidence of being misused. Therefore, it is likely that residents of the community would utilize the newly designated area instead.
"I can support having such a facility," said Jeffrey Hearty, council member.
Since the council was all in agreement, it was determined that signs would be ordered, and the site would be advertised via the city's monthly newsletter and on the city website.
The city bulletin board, by the post office, would also carry a notice.
