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County may go to curbside trash pickup on east end
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Liberty County Solid Waste Director Dave Sapp outlines his plan to increase the efficiency of trash disposal by introducing polycarts. He made his presentation Monday before a capacity crowd at Riceboro City Hall. - photo by Photo by John Deike

Liberty County Solid Waste Director Dave Sapp is devising a proposal for cheap and innovative trash removal for the east side of the county.
Specifically, Sapp wants to improve the trash removal services of Riceboro, Midway and portions of the unincorporated area of the county.
Sapp spoke at a meeting Monday at Riceboro City Hall where he explained how he wanted to provide polycart services for the 200 households in the rural sections of Riceboro that technically lie in the unincorporated part of the county.
For an added charge per month (residents already pay $105 annually for trash disposal), the 200 households would each receive a large plastic trash container, referred to as polycarts. Each Thursday, county workers would collect the polycarts, dispose of the trash and return the containers to the households, he said.
But since Sapp wants to limit the added charge to $3 per household, he needs 800 residences (instead of 200) to fund and initiate the plan, he said.
Thus, he is asking the cities of Riceboro and Midway to agree to participate in the effort.
“These municipalities are warming up to this idea because residents would no longer have to haul trash (including discardable refrigerators, mattresses, box springs and furniture) to the Isle of White convenience center in Midway that costs them time and gas money,” he said.
Midway Mayor Don Emmons seemingly agreed

“It sounds like $3 is a great price for this polycart service, and any time we can generate some savings it’s good. We look forward to (Sapp’s) presentation of this plan,” Emmons said.
Riceboro Councilman the Rev. Tommy Williams said, “I am for the polycarts because it will serve the interests of our citizens, and we can finally dispose of those dumpsters, which have become eyesores,” he said.
Also, the three remaining dumpsites (adjacent to the Riceboro city limits) would be cleaned up and shut down, Sapp said.
“Taking trash to those dump sites every week is a headache. The trunk of my car is a mess afterwards. Shutting down those dump sites would be a step in the right direction, and I hope this proposal passes,” Riceboro resident Joseph Hasty said.
Sapp promised the $3 would not increase for at least two years, and after that time, he guessed it would incrementally increase by about three percent every year.
Hinesville Assistant City Manager, Kenny Howard inquired about how the polycart charge would affect people on fixed incomes.
Sapp said he and Liberty County Chairman John McIver have been working on that issue.
“Folks who are classified in the S4 tax bracket earning less than $25,000 would be eligible to have the polycart service covered for them, and they will receive a notice of eligibility” Sapp said.
If Sapp can win over Riceboro and Midway to get the adequate funding for the trash removal program, then it would go into effect Dec. 1.

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