City Removes limits on trash, items on curb
The Ann Arbor News
By Pamela Appea
Spring cleaning can be a pain. But the city of Ypsilanti is making the change-of-season cleaning a little easier by taking the limit off the number of trash bags and other items residents can put out on their stoop this week.
Normally, city residents are allowed up to three garbage bags and one large household item each week. But this week, city residents can put out their broken couch, that stained, old carpet and that 2-year-old papier-mâché piñata without paying extra for pickup.
Normally, residents would be charged for the extra trash.
“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” said Carey Weihmiller, municipal marketing representative at Waste Management in Southfield, the company that manages Ypsilanti’s trash pickup. Ypsilanti’s spring cleaning has been going on for five years.
Beth Gulyas-Williams, the city’s public works office manager, said pickup was a little slow this week, but the city expects more residents will be hauling out their discarded goods for pickup this week.
Most people appreciate having the grace period for their pickup, she said.
“I think it’s going to be more household items,” Weihmiller said of most residents’ contribution. In other cities Waste Management services, most residents don’t put out a lot more than their usual limit, even during the spring cleanup weeks, Weihmiller said.
“I personally don’t plan on putting out anything different (than usual)” said Joseph Lawrence, one of the founding members of the Ypsilanti Historic Society and an owner of several apartments and houses.
Lawrence, a longtime Ypsilanti resident, said he and his tenants are all avid recyclers. Typically, Lawrence said he and his tenants put out less than their allotted amount of trash.
However, Lawrence commended the city for doing the extra pickup of trash, citing it as a sacrifice given Ypsilanti’s tight budget.
“I know they’re doing the best they can to maintain the pickup service,” he said.
For more information, call the Department of Public Works at (734) 483-1421.
Originally published Wednesday, May 3, 2000
