BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — From not subscribing to garbage collection service and nonpayment of bills to property nuisance, officials said Martin County residents who are out of compliance with the county’s solid waste ordinance can expect citations.
The issue surfaced during the Martin County Solid Waste Board’s Feb. 4 meeting at the government center in Inez. Officials also announced that county residents can dispose of waste tires at the road and bridge department.
Still, unpaid garbage bills and residents who are not subscribing to the collection service were the board’s most pressing concerns.
“One of the solid waste haulers wants to know what they can do when people won’t start paying,” board chairperson Greg Murphy said.
The county’s solid waste ordinance requires all occupied residences to participate in the county’s trash collection program. It also states that “all solid waste placed for collection remains the property of the waste generator.” The ordinance defines a waste generator as “any person, by site, whose act or process produces waste.”
Martin County Solid Waste Coordinator Eric Phelps said both the hauler and code enforcement officer Tony Preece have mailed letters to residents who are not paying their bills or subscribing to the collection service.
“A lot of letters got put in the mail in the last couple of days,” Phelps said. “We will see how that goes — which ones get signed up.”
If those efforts fail, enforcement will follow.
The next step, board members said, is for Preece, who did not attend the meeting, to issue citations to those individuals.
“Once the hauler sends out letters and notifies Tony, and he doesn’t get anything back, then Tony must start his process,” board member Deresa MacDonald said.
Board members then reviewed recent nuisance actions. Phelps reported that Preece recently issued three notices of violation.
The first notice went to a resident on Smith Road in Beauty.
“I think the landowner also reached out to the renter to tell them to either clean up or move,” Phelps said.
The second notice went to a resident on Aaron Street in Inez.
“He told that person that if they had any questions, they could show up tonight,” Phelps said. “As you see, they didn’t show up.”
The third notice went to a resident on Coldwater Road in Inez.
“They’ve been accumulating trash,” Phelps said. “[Preece] went to the property several times, but the resident did not fix the problem.”
Each resident had 14 days to remedy the violation.
Additional complaints are under review as the code enforcement officer investigates several locations for trash accumulation, Phelps said.
The first location is on Bill Stepp Bottom Road in Inez.
“That is the same owner who received a notice at Aaron Street,” he noted.
Another complaint involves a property in Beauty, which Phelps said Cathy Carter has since purchased and is cleaning up.
The third and fourth complaints concern properties on East Main Street in Inez.
“They have some junk cars in the driveway,” Phelps said, adding that Preece has spoken with the residents. “The homeowner advised that he felt singled out. He told him that he is welcome to come to the board, but he needs to start cleaning up.”
In other matters, Phelps reminded residents that they can dispose of waste tires during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, at the county road and bridge department at 45 Tomahawk Road in Inez.
“Bring over any tires that you like,” he said. “Leave your name and the number of tires that you’re dropping off. We’ll be glad to help you get rid of your tires.”