Hot Springs Village Property Owner, Melinda Alvord, discussed the new paper bag yard waste disposal requirement at the January 5, 2022 Board Discussion Session.
Ms. Alvord said, “I wanted to correct something that was said regarding the change in the biodegradable…our yard waste pickup. It’s not a change that the county has made that is generating our having to use these paper bags. It is the change that the POA made because we’ve always been using plastic bags. They’ve [staff] just been ripping them open. The county has been getting clean yard waste from us, I guess, but now with the change in how the bags are going to be picked up – that’s what’s causing the change.”
Alvord explained, “Anyway, with regard to the use of paper bags, I have done a little experimenting at home on my own. The capacity of a paper yard waste bag is about half of what I was able to get into a large plastic bag such as I had been using. Typically at our household, we have, during the heavy leaf dropping season, sometimes 20, 25, 30 bags with all the trees that we have on our lot.”
Alvord continued, “and, at the very least, since I’ll now probably be putting out twice as many bags I wonder if the Board would consider taking the cost of the stickers back to fifty cents. Now I’ll have to pay a dollar twice as much as I was paying or have been paying, at least during this last year with the increase in the price of the stickers. Thank you.”
Tucker Omohundro, Board Vice-chair responded, “well, with the fact that we are not going to have the labor involved in opening the bags, I think that is a fair request to look at, anyway.”
Alvord said, “thank you.”
Omohundro said, “I am sure that was the cost to us.”
Alvord stated, “well, and in addition, the cost of the paper bags is considerably higher than it is to buy a big box of plastic bags. So, for the homeowner, it would help a lot. Thank you.”
Omohundro replied, “we will look into it.”
Joanie Corry, Board Chair, and Pam Avila, Board Director thanked Melinda for bringing this to the attention of the Board.
Transcribed by Cheryl Dowden, January 11, 2022
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Jess Jackson
01/11/2022 — 7:58 pm
At our home in Illinois, we bought paper bags from the city. This was a good revenue source for the city, and offered a standard bag for the handlers. I am sure the POA, could purchase the bags and resale at a reasonable markup.
Lorri Street
01/12/2022 — 8:45 am
I am one who rakes and bags my leaves from the front and most of the sides of my property. Just recently had 13 bags of leaves sit on my front yard from 12/9-1/7. Called for the pickup on 12/9 and was told the first date available was 1/7/22. Almost a month to have bagged leaves picked up is too long IMHO. Additionally, had I used the paper bags I’m pretty certain they would have all been water logged making the pick up by the POA a messy one. To hire people to blow leaves from my entire property is $300.00 annually. I find this an unfair process since many of my neighbors in my surrounding neighborhood have empty lots they can blow their leaves onto. And, please don’t tell me “they’re not supposed too”, because, it’s common practice here in the Village. If the POA decides to take my right as a Property Owner to bag my leaves and have them picked up then they can reimburse me my annual cost to have them removed. The playing field needs to be leveled.
John M Szczepaniak
01/13/2022 — 10:08 am
The lasts couple of times they picked up my leaves which were in clear plastic bags, they emptied the bags into a garbage truck. Have they method changed again where they are using a pickup truck? Due to the length of time it takes to schedule pick up and rain showers, is this really the thing to do?