Fremont targets trash dumping in town ditches
By Laura Collins
Published in News on October 22, 2009 1:46 PM
Fremont will be taking a closer look at trash in the ditches around town.
At Tuesday night's Board of Alderman meeting, board members addressed concerns about trash in ditches around the Fremont Rest Center. Ann Lewis, who lives near the center, said it became an issue this summer.
"This summer I had all kinds of snakes in my yard," she said. "That ditch is full of bottles, alcohol bottles, and everything you can think of."
Town Administrator Kerry McDuffie agreed the trash could be a problem.
"Those items out there could encourage rats, snakes, and it is a real health hazard," he said.
The board decided to form a committee to look not only at the ditches around the Rest Center that might need to be cleaned out, but also at other ditches in town that need to be cleaned.
Mayor Pro Tem Leroy Ruffin said if too much trash builds up, it could become a drainage issue.
McDuffie said the town had a few options for clearing out ditches in the area. They could wait for another rotation of inmates to work in Fremont, although there is no time frame on when that might happen. The town could also get quotes on how much the clean-up would cost private contractors, or they could clean the ditches themselves, although McDuffie said the town is currently backed up on several other projects.
The committee, formed by Ruffin, board member Al Lewis and board member Leon Mooring, will make a decision.
Also at the meeting, McDuffie updated board members on the status of the sewer projects in town. He said Phase I of the sewer project, which repaired about 80 spots along sewer lines, still has a couple more weeks before it's completed. Phase II of the project, which replaced eight manholes and a Dickinson Street sewer line, is almost finished except for asphalt patching and cleanup.
Also at the meeting, board members voted to teardown the old electrical shelter/old fire department building. The board is not immediately going to build a new structure in its place.
"If we tear it down and clean it up so it won't look so bad, we can get back to it later when we have more money," Mayor Devone Jones said.
The board also approved the fall bulk pick-up, which will start at 7:30 a.m. Nov. 9.