Harvey Urges Residents To Report Illegal Dumping

citizen |

by SheRico Jones

The city of Harvey is requesting citizens assistance in cracking down on illegal dumping.

Currently, the city of Harvey spends over $800,000 a year on trash disposal. However, if illegal dumping continues at its current rate of escalation, the city of Harveys spending could increase to over $1,000,000, according to Rufus Fisher; Director of Public Works.

Illegal dumping is defined as discarding furniture, appliances, yard debris and other unwanted items in a location other than at a recycling center or permitted disposal site.

We need your help, Fisher said. This is a real serious problem that were having right now in our city.

Some of the items most frequently dumped illegally include: appliances, electronics, mattresses, televisions and tires.

One issue that I have is the abundance of apartment buildings, 2nd ward Alderman Joseph Whittingham said. What weve noticed is when an individual moves, the first thing they do is dump all of their furniture [in the alleys] and thats killing the city of Harvey.

Citizens are urged to watch for illegal dumpers, get license plate numbers and let the Alderman and/or the mayor know when this activity is spotted.

There have been many citizen complaints about potholes throughout the city, according to 1st ward Alderwoman Shirley Drewinski. One of the most heavily affected areas is along 162nd street. These potholes are due to heavy semi-tractor trailer traffic. Drewinski states that a checklist of these potholes has been made so that they can be fixed.

The city of Harvey is also planning for the demolition of Dixie Square Mall located on 151st and Dixie Highway. The mall, which has been vacant for almost 30 years, is famous for being the location where the mall chase scene in the movie The Blues Brothers was filmed. The city is working with an environmental company. The city also plans to choose local contractors and subcontractors to assist in the demolition of the vacant property. The completion of the demolition is slated for August.

Any Harvey resident who does not know the trash collection date for their residence should call the Harvey Street Department at: 708-210-5304. For large household items, one large item will be picked up per week. Large items include: chairs, tables, beds, appliances, etc. Citizens are allowed to place up to 10 small plastic bagscontaining small itemsoutside for pick-up on trash collection days. Bags must be closed properly and cannot to exceed forty pounds.

Residents are urged to report illegal dumping by calling the Harvey Police at: 708-331-2131.

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