Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
A city resident implored the Public Works Committee to take a more proactive stance on illegal dumping, pointing to a code that he felt needed to be promoted and improved.
Ed Higgins brought copies of the city codes, along with suggested revisions, to the committee's Wednesday morning meeting. After a lengthy discussion on the matter, committee members tabled the discussion, citing the need to fully review the codes and his suggestions.
Higgins said when he and his wife moved into Clovis seven years ago, they didn't have many problems with respect to illegal dumping of items such as tree trimmings, furniture and appliances, but it's becoming more prevalent. He felt it was the most important of four concerns about the city, the latter three including noise, parking and stray or loose animals.
He was adamant that he did not want his committee visits to cause disputes with his neighbors, because "my neighbors are not the people who do it."
City staff agreed. Code Enforcement Officer Marcus Brice said instances like what Higgins reported happen throughout the city, and Public Works Director Clint Bunch said nearly all of the 26 callers Monday about debris in various alleys indicated the debris was brought in from outside of the neighborhood.
"Truth be told," committee chairman Len Vohs said, "your neighbors probably feel the same way."
City Engineer Justin Howalt added that proper usage of trash bins is almost impossible to enforce, as it would require constant supervision of city alleys.
Higgins said when he's made calls to public works, the staff has been extremely helpful. He also noted that when flyers go out outlining the city codes on dumping, the problem lessens — which leads him to conclude that many people aren't aware of what's in the city code, and are unlikely to research it.
"We've had discussions before," Vohs said, "and education is the key."
Vohs said a good course of action would be to include more notifications in garbage bills. Higgins suggested the real estate industry could include notifications, including a reprint of the applying codes, for people moving into new homes.
Trash disposal is referred to twice in the city code — Section 8.04 for property and rubbish disposal and Section 8.16 for public nuisances. Higgins suggested the codes could be changed to simplify each, and help one support the other.
City Manager Joe Thomas, prior to the tabling, said the process wasn't one the advisory committee could handle without city commission action, as it would require at least one ordinance.
Noting the neighborhood was an area where the city tested a polycart program in 2010, Commissioner Randy Crowder asked Higgins how he felt about using carts instead of alley trash bins.
Higgins said he would have used the polycart system if that's what the city went to, but he said the carts were too small, constituted an eyesore in the front of homes and would often be blown over by the wind.
Other residents felt the same way, with the widely-unpopular program scrapped in June 2010. The city received 537 pieces of correspondence on the polycarts, with just 11 of them in favor of a change.
In other business at the meeting:
Having the road stay with its 45 mph limit, Thomas said, creates a hazard for traffic at Plains Regional Medical Center and various medical centers on the east side of MLK Boulevard, but he didn't think dropping to a 20 mph or 25 mph zone was a good solution.
"I think that would create as many problems, if not more," Thomas said.
Police records indicate 37 crashes on MLK between 21st Street and Riata Street since 2007 — between five and nine crashes annually, and three so far this year. Of those accidents, Thomas said 11 of them took place at the 21st-MLK intersection, giving the indication that most accidents are speed-related.
The committee at first discussed putting the 35 mph limit between 21st and Riata, but Howalt noted that a driver would have too much inconsistency on the road — a northbound driver could go 35 mph from Seventh to Deborah Street, up to 45 mph until 21st Street, back down to 35 mph until Riata Street and back up to 45 mph until Llano Estacado Boulevard.
Howalt said the signage will take about 30 days to install at most.
