Garbage pickup should not be outsourced

To the Editor,

     First, let me start by saying our Public Works Department does a great job. Now for my comments on the thought that you are thinking of outsourcing our Sanitation Department; I just can’t believe that you would consider sending our tax dollars out of the community. We have a great Sanitation Department.

     As far as cleaning up our city with yard carts, I have seen the results of yard carts. We have plastic bags that are sealed and placed at the curb for the Sanitation Department to pick up. When they have picked up the garbage bags, our streets are clean; whereas with the yard carts, I have watched them come by with their mechanical arm truck. They pick it up and dump it upside down. Remember this garbage is not in bags; it is loose. So as they dump it, the light items such as paper go flying everywhere. I witnessed this firsthand over Christmas at my daughter’s. Then there are the yard carts. They sit on the curb all day until the homeowner comes home from work to find it tipped over or the wind blew it in the street. They do not clean up the streets; rather it makes the streets look a mess. So Mr. Yeoman, I completely disagree with your view.

     Our sanitation crew is homeowners or renters. They pay taxes, pay for water, sewer and garbage pickup, buy food, clothing, gas, and Mr. Russ, they more than likely buy some supplies from where you work. They are a vital part of our community. And Mr. Herman, I’ll bet not one dollar of our tax dollars that is paid to this out-of-town company will be spent in our community.

     We cannot justify sending our tax dollars out of this community. For every tax dollar you send out of town, that means we the people must pick up that loss of taxes that are needed in our community.

Ron Buscher

Monticello, Iowa