Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 87F. Winds light and variable..

Mainly clear. Low 69F. Winds light and variable.

Seen are dumpsters in the Hodges lot behind Chico’s on Wednesday, June 29.

Luna Pizza Cafe owner Richard Woods places a bag of trash in a dumpster near his business on Wednesday.

Luna Pizza Cafe owner Richard Woods places a bag of trash in a dumpster near his business on Wednesday, June 29.

Seen are dumpsters in the Hodges lot behind Chico’s on Wednesday, June 29.

Luna Pizza Cafe owner Richard Woods places a bag of trash in a dumpster near his business on Wednesday.

Luna Pizza Cafe owner Richard Woods places a bag of trash in a dumpster near his business on Wednesday, June 29.

Overflowing bins and opaque payment plans have the City of Greenville and downtown businesses searching for a better way to dispose of solid waste.

Business owners in the area currently must contract with waste haulers to take their garbage because the city does not provide commercial trash pickup. The city Public Works Department has been working with a consultant to consider alternatives.

Officials previously have met with individual business owners and the leadership of the Uptown Greenville development group. They met with a group of business owners Tuesday during an information session at Sheppard Memorial Library.

“We are looking at if (the city) should get involved in commercial solid waste,” said Greenville Public Works Director Kevin Mulligan. “We’ve had some challenges over the last, many years with the uptown commercial, particularly in Roses lot, Merchants lot and Hodges lot.”

There are 65 dumpsters in the downtown area, which Mulligan said encompasses the horseshoe of Reade Circle, extending to Dickinson Avenue. There also are about 110, 95-gallon containers, Mulligan said.

Eight dumpsters located in the Hodges, Roses and Merchants parking lots draw complaints because trash bags pile up and sometimes break and create eyesores, said Jonathan Ingram, senior manager with Raftelis, the consulting firm working with the city.

Unauthorized businesses and individuals also use the dumpsters. Ingram called them “free riders.”

There also is an issue because pricing isn’t transparent, Mulligan said.

Ingram’s firm looked at commercial trash pickup practices in 10 cities similar to Greenville and they provide a wide variety of trash pickup practices.

Part of Greenville’s challenge is there is too little space downtown for a compactor or to accommodate the number of commercial containers needed to adequately serve all the businesses.

Among possible solutions is the city taking over commercial trash collection. Mulligan said the drawback is the cost and difficulty in obtaining containers. It could take more than two years to implement that plan because of the lack of containers, he said.

Instead, the city could enter a franchise agreement with private haulers. Under this proposal, the city would collect a mandatory fee paid by all businesses and residents living in the downtown area. The city would contract with one or two private companies to pick up trash following a detailed list of requirements.

Garry Nobles, owner of Garry’s Skin Grafix Tattoos on Evans Street, said he contracts with a company to dispose of his used needles but has carried his own trash to a Pitt County convenience site for more than 20 years. He said he didn’t want to walk three or four blocks to the nearest dumpster site to dispose of his trash.

Nobles asked if businesses could opt out of paying the franchise fee. Mulligan said no because it is likely some who opt out would still use commercial containers provided under the plan.

Another solution could involve businesses rolling out carts to be picked up in the early morning hours.

Matt Hines, owner of Crossfit Greenville on Clark Street, said the containers would be a target for mischief.

Ingram said pickup would have to be early in the morning, and that would not be popular with people living in downtown.

Several other solutions were discussed but had drawbacks because of space limitations or unsightliness.

The business owners also discussed other issues they want the city’s plan to address.

Kristen Riggs of Insomnia Cookies on Evans Street said she struggles to open the lid on the commercial bin she uses because of its height.

There also was a problem when the cardboard disposal bin wasn’t picked up for several months.

Riggs said she has to dispose of cardboard every day.

Richard Woods, owner of Luna Pizza Cafe on South Pitt Street, said if the city sticks with large bins, sometimes called eight-yard containers, better lighting needs to be installed. Employees don’t feel safe when they have to take the trash to a dark area late in the evening.

It also was suggested that cameras be installed to catch people not authorized to use the bins.

Hines said he would like to see trash bins on sidewalks in the Dickinson Avenue area to serve pedestrians. Mulligan said Dickinson Avenue sidewalks are small and trash cans would take up space and make them non-compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

Hines said because Dickinson Avenue is newly developed, businesses in the area are holding themselves accountable and keeping their trash tidy. He added as more restaurants open, he sees the potential for problems.

Matt Sculley, co-owner of The Scullery, asked if a solution for cooking oil disposal could be addressed.

Mulligan said whatever the final recommendation is, “it’s not going to be one size fits all for the urban core because there just isn’t space.”

Pickup frequency also needs to be considered because some businesses would only need weekly pickup while others would need greater frequency.

Woods said restaurants would need Friday pickup in preparation for the weekend and then an early week pickup to get rid of the weekend trash.

Public works and its consultant could present recommendations to the Greenville City Council in August or September.

Contact Ginger Livingston at glivingston@reflector.com or 252-329-9570.

www.Reflector.com 1150 Sugg Pkwy Greenville, NC 27834 Main Phone: 252-329-9500 Customer Care Phone: 252-329-9505

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