Page 9 - Flathead Beacon // 6.4.14

FLATHEADBEACON.COM NEWS JUNE 4, 2014 | 9

pardon

Our

dust

A Flathead County Solid Waste truck hoists a container of garbage from the line at the county green box site in Bigfork. BEACON FILE PHOTO

Residents Decry Possible Green Box Closures

Lakeside and Bigfork
the answer.
to the growing garbage problem, and
communities ask for “Give the communities a chance,”
have only considered closure.
Miller said. “Give us some options.” The county is paying about $70,000
other options at Solid Others spoke about how closing the for the study, public works director Dave

Waste Board meeting
sites will mean more people will end up Prunty said.
dumping their trash in the woods or by There was also discontent about the
the side of the road. If the sites aren’t meeting time and location; it was held
By MOLLY PRIDDY of the Beacon
close and user friendly, the garbage will
at a county parks building on Foys Lake
just be dumped illegally.
Road at 10 a.m. on a Thursday.
A vocal crowd of Flathead County “People will use the side of the road,”
“If customer service was on the
residents berated the county’s Solid Bud Sayler of Marion said. “This is not agenda, this one meeting wouldn’t be
Waste District Board during a May 29 about saving money. In reality, this is held in Herron Park,” Lakeside resident

workshop about the future of the coun- about providing a service to the people Dan Benesch said.
ty’s green box garbage sites, saying elect- you are supposed to represent.”
After two hours of public comment,
ed oicials aren’t listening to constitu- Sayler said he saw improperly dis- the Solid Waste District Board contin-
ents.
posed garbage when the county closed ued with a workshop addressing the is-
The main item of contention is the the Marion green box site in 2009, and sues brought forth, Prunty said.
potential future closures of the Bigfork that residents had warned the county The board decided that a resident
and Lakeside green box sites, with which such behavior would happen back then survey – another big topic of discussion

residents from both towns adamantly as well.
– is needed before any sort of decisions
disagreed.
“You’re not listening,” Sayler said. are made. Prunty said most of the af-
Closing the Bigfork and Lakeside “There wasn’t a single person at that ternoon was spent creating the survey
sites has been under scrutiny for at least meeting that said we want to do this.”
questions and deciding how to dissemi-
two years, when the county said the Sue Hanson of Bigfork said the green nate the survey.
dumpsites are too small and pose safety box site is already so busy, and moving it He said the board hopes to have it out
risks.
to consolidate at Somers would not solve by June or July, and it could be mailed,
Barb Miller, who spoke representing the problem. She also said it’s unfair for made available online and taken by em-

the Lakeside Community Council, said the county to consider making residents ployees at the dumpsites.
there hasn’t been a resident in favor of pay for private garbage service or have to The board is about 25 percent of the
the apparent closure and consolidation drive further to green boxes.
way toward making a recommendation
plan, and that moving all green box ac- “All we’re asking for is service,” Han- to the Flathead County Commission,
tivity to the Somers site on Highway 82 son said. “The sherif’s department has a who would then be responsible for mak-
is a safety hazard because there isn’t a huge county to cover too, and they don’t ing the inal decision, Prunty said.
left turn lane or a traic light, and the charge us extra to come to Bigfork.”
That means there is plenty of work to

speed limit is 70 mph.
Recycling was another issue dis- do before the board makes up a formal
“This is a fatality waiting to happen,” cussed; many residents said they want presentation for the commission. All of
Miller said.
more recycling opportunities, and that the comments made at the May 29 meet-
Miller said residents pay for green the blue recycling boxes at the drop sites ing were recorded and will be burned
box service in their taxes already, and are always full.
to a CD for the consultants, and Prunty
adding the extra cost to drive further to Paul Mutascio, representing the said the board addressed many of the
these services puts an unfair inancial Community Foundation for a Better concerns during the workshop.
burden on the taxpayers.
Bigfork, said the consultants looking at As of May 30, no further workshops

www.ThreeRiversBankMontana.com
One public meeting on the issue isn’t the future of green boxes – CH2M Hill – were planned, he said.
enough, she said, and one solution isn’t
have never looked at alternate answers
[email protected]