Citizen urges recycling

Published 11:37 pm Monday, February 13, 2012

Four different haulers weekly ply the alley between Division and Main streets to remove trash from six homes.
“That alley was never built for trucks,” Ron Leatz told Dowagiac City Council Monday night. “Underneath that little bit of asphalt is dirt. Stevensville made recycling mandatory.”
Wondering why the city doesn’t rely on a single vendor offering recycling, Mayor Don Lyons responded, “Some years ago we went out with that thought in mind. With mandatory trash service you don’t get dumping in the country or other people using industries’ Dumpsters.
“There are a whole host of reasons to do it, but the long and short of it is court law in Michigan says that’s illegal and we can’t do it.”