Town of Medaryville waives, enforces trash fines

Medaryville Town Council members used harsh words as they determined whether fines should stick to three properties. 
During a regular meeting on Jan. 20, the council discussed if they should waive three citations. Letters were previously written to the property owners giving them 10 days to clean up the mess. 
Council president Bob Schultz and Raymond Saltsman Sr. voiced their displeasure with the fact that the garage of the three properties has been there for some time without being addressed. 
Resident Donna Compton, one of the three citation recipients, contested the citation at the meeting.
At the meeting, council members were given a copy of the letter sent to Compton along with photos to indicate why the citation was written. Photos were also taken of the progress that her family has made in cleaning up their yard after receiving a warning from the town. 
“I don’t understand what else needs to be done,” Compton said. 
According to Compton, she and her husband began addressing the issue after they received the town letter. She called town hall to see if an extension of 10 days was possible due to a death in the family. At the time she knew that additional work may need to be done. No one called her back. 
“I have a real hard time with trash,” Schultz said. “Trash is trash. I think it is a neglect. It’s a plan neglect that’s what it is. This is something that has been there for quite a while.” 
He said the garbage company comes by every Friday and people still leave their garbage in their yards or on their porches. He doesn’t understand why people don’t make an effort to clean up. The service is part of the utility bill that residents pay per month. 
“She was not ignoring the order to clean up,” said councilwoman Suzanna Wilcoxon. “She was doing her best. I know personally that she made an effort to clean it up before the end of the 10-day period.” 
Wilcoxon made a motion to waive the fine because of the extenuating circumstances and because Compton made an attempt to clean it up. Her motion was approved. 
Council members also discussed the two other properties. 
As Schultz looked at the photos he said, “There’s just no excuse for this.” He said along with the garbage being picked up each Friday, the Pulaski County Transfer Station will also take items. There is a cost to use the transfer station. 
The two properties were brought before the council to determine if there is a fine and how much they want it to be. The fine can be anywhere from $50 to $2,500. 
The council approved to fine one of the properties $50 and re-address it again in about two months. They also approved to treat the other citation as a warning. A second letter will be sent to that property advising that further actions need to be taken. They will re-address that property in about two months also.   
 
See the full story in the Pulaski County Journal, available in print or e-edition.