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Rogers City taking steps to resolve recycling issues

News Photo by Julie Riddle Rogers City resident Lori Darga tries to shove objects into an overflowing recycling bin at Rogers City’s transfer station on Tuesday.

ROGERS CITY — Rogers City officials will take more steps to limit the amount of trash and overflowing recycling being left near Presque Isle County’s recycling bins, located at the city’s transfer station.

City and county officials on several occasions have expressed their frustrations with people leaving their household trash either in or near the recycling bins. Those officials have also had to deal with recyclables overflowing from the bins or left outside of the bins once they’re full.

Rogers City officials have already installed one security camera to monitor the recycling bins at the site because of these issues and police have written residents citations for littering, which is against the law.

The Rogers City City Council on Tuesday unanimously agreed to take more aggressive steps to resolve the issue, which include locking the gate at the city’s transfer station each night and erecting a second surveillance camera to catch those who are leaving trash at the site.

Mayor Scott McLennan said council police would lock the transfer station gate at night and city staff would unlock the gate when they arrive in the morning. McLennan said Police Chief Jamie Meyer also assured him littering would be strictly enforced.

“Those violators are going to be held accountable because it makes it bad for everyone else who wants to recycle,” he said.

McLennan also said Northeast Michigan Council of Government is looking for funding for the camera, as well as the lighting and pole that would be installed with it.

McLennan said they would also like to provide more education to people about what can and cannot be recycled. He said people like to try to recycle the Playskool basketball hoops, but that particular item cannot be recycled and belongs in the trash.

He said the bins that hold cans are emptied on Mondays and the bins with paper and cardboard are emptied on Wednesdays.

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