Liberty Grove May Add Garbage-Collection Services

Liberty Grove is investigating the feasibility of offering garbage and recycling services to residents through the town. 

Supervisor Janet Johnson said the service could not only save residents money on waste-collection services, but also address a long-standing problem of residents who are illegally dumping garbage at town parks and in private dumpsters.

“Over the years, we have tried to put garbage collection in our parks,” Johnson said. “We’ve tried different methods to have garbage cans located throughout the town. People are throwing personal trash in dumpsters.”

Town Administrator Walter “Bud” Kalms said people have dumped mattresses, furniture and other large items on town properties. Though some illegal dumping may be sourced to visitors, Kalms said local residents are also to blame. When town officials have rummaged through the dumped trash bags, they’ve found mail and receipts indicating that the trash came from local residents. 

Johnson is leading the research on the project, which may include a town survey as was conducted several years ago. 

“Once we get information together, we would put it out to waste companies for bid and see if it would work,” Johnson said. 

Townwide service for garbage and recycling in other communities costs between $11 and $16 per month, compared to about $25 per month for garbage pickup alone when contracted individually. The Town of Gardner implemented townwide garbage collection in September at a rate of $11.80 per month through GLF Environmental. In the Town of Forestville, all properties with a livable home and approved sanitation system are charged $16 per residence per month for garbage and recycling pickup through Going Garbage. 

Kalms said some residents have objected to adding the service through the town because they don’t use a service now – and not all those without garbage service dump illegally. Some property owners purchase trash bags from Going Garbage for $7 per bag and drop the garbage at its Liberty Grove facility. 

Woodcrest Road Improvements

The Town of Liberty Grove and Village of Sister Bay have begun preparation work for improvements to Woodcrest Road between County ZZ and Flint Ridge Road. The road, which is increasingly used as a bypass for drivers avoiding Sister Bay traffic and by cyclists, runners and walkers, will be getting wider shoulders and new pavement.

The road is the border between the two municipalities. Although Sister Bay has pushed for widening the road to 26 feet, Kalms said the town would pay to expand it from 20 feet to only 24 feet. He said that when it comes to maintenance and improvements on a border road, responsibility is divided based on which municipality receives state road aid for a portion of the road. 

“The village gets road aid from County ZZ to Plateau Road,” Kalms said. “The town gets Plateau to Flint Ridge, so we both have half a mile.”

The Liberty Grove road crew is performing the work. Kalms estimates the cost will come to $90,000 to $100,000 for each municipality.