Eureka Springs residents who aren’t happy with the recent change in the number of trash bags allowed to be picked up each week will have until late August to transition to the new restrictions.
At its regular meeting on April 22, the council approved Ordinance 2350, an amendment to the recently approved Ordinance 2348. The amendment will increase the amount of trash that will be picked up each week.
For now, customers will be allowed twice the amount allowed under Ordinance 2348.
“Ordinance 2348 limits the amount of trash to one 35-gallon container and/or one trash bag with a maximum capacity of 35 gallons,” city clerk treasurer Ida Meyer read to council members. “And whereas, one 35-gallon container or one trash bag with a maximum capacity of 35 gallons is inadequate for some households. Now, therefore, be hereby ordained … that ordinance 2348 be amended … Standard weekly trash service shall be for two 35-gallon containers, or two trash bags.
“Bag tags can be purchased for $2 each at public works. Any overflow or excess bag of waste not marked with a bag tag will be left on the curb.”
Despite some debate, the amendment includes a sunset cause stipulating that it will expire on Aug. 26. At that time, the council will decide whether to continue to allow two containers or two bags or revert back to the single bag and/or container restriction — aimed at encouraging residents to recycle.
The idea for the amended ordinance was first brought up at the April 8 council meeting with council member Autumn Slane saying she had heard many complaints that a limit of one 35-gallon bag or container was not enough, especially for families of four or more.
Council member Harry Meyer agreed, even saying that he felt the amendment should be voted in without the sunset clause.
“This all started because a family of four cannot get by with one bag,” Meyer said. “We have places where there are families of four, and why should they pay more for their trash because they have a family? I really like the two-bag thing. People in Eureka Springs already recycle. I don’t think it’s going to increase or decrease recycling.”
Before the recent changes approved by the city council, the city used a yellow bag system for many years where customers could place unlimited bags of trash on the curb and, as long as it was in the yellow bags, it was picked up.
“In the past, people were putting out as many bags as they wanted,” Meyer said. “They were wrapping lumber with a yellow bag. We can eliminate that sort of thing.”
Meyer and Slane voted to remove the sunset clause, but Terry Mc-Clung, David Avanzino and Steve Holifield voted to keep the sunset clause in place. Council member Susane Gruning was absent.
Holifield said he supported the sunset clause and thinks a four-month adjustment period toward the one-bag limit will be successful.
“People will get used to it, be more informed,” Holifield said. “Then we’ll go back to the one bag.
“As a reminder, Berryville’s been doing one bag for 12, 15 years. And their tags are $5 each, not $2 each. And I do believe it does help recycling because I know people right now that put cardboard in their bags. They put bottles and cans in the bag because they don’t want to mess with recycling, but if they are paying a little extra to do that, I think they will think about it.”
McClung said revisiting the issue in August isn’t a big deal.
“I don’t think a onepage document like this ordinance is a real big problem in four months, so I agree, I think we need to leave it the way it is and see how it shakes out at the end of the four months,” McClung said. “If we decide to change it, we’ll change it. If we want to leave it, we’ll put it back to the way it is. It’s not rocket science.”
The council ended up approving a second and third reading of the amended ordinance by title only, then approved an emergency clause making it effective immediately.
BYE, BYE CONFETTI
After voting to ban all types of confetti during parades earlier in the month, the council unanimously approved the first reading of an enforceable ordinance on the issue.
Ordinance 2351 will ban confetti on public property, according to the reading by Ida Meyer.
Confetti or any materials, including paper, plastic, mylar or metallic materials, will be banned at “celebrations, especially parades,” according to the ordinance.
Anyone violating the ordinance, “shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined an amount not greater than $50 for a first offense and not greater than $100 for a second or subsequent event,” Ida Meyer read.
The confetti ordinance will have to be approved twice more before going into effect.
OTHER ITEMS
Public works director Simon Wiley updated the council on the city’s sewer plant and water leaks.
“We’re able to process sludge again,” Wiley said in regard to the sewage treatment plant. “It’s been a long process, but we’re finally there.”
A recent walkthrough of the facility with Mc-Clelland Engineering, specifically an old maintenance building, led to the discovery of old plan sheets that will eventually be scanned and will assist in the future, Wiley told council members.
In regard to the ongoing task of discovering and repairing water leaks, Wiley said public works has finished repairs atop Planer Hill and is now focused on a couple of other projects downtown.
“We have another leak where Main Street ties into Spring Street,” he said. “The guys think they found that source of the leak …” Another downtown project is a leak found in front of the transit station on Main Street, Wiley added.
In two other approvals, the council confirmed the appointments of Michael Welch to fill a vacant seat on the Planning Commission/ Board of Zoning Adjustment and Aaron Borey to a seat on the Parks Commission.