Private dumpsters are filling up in Port Royal. Are new decals causing garbage drama?
Beaufort County has saved a substantial sum in landfill and hauling costs since it started requiring residents to obtain a decal before dumping waste at nine convenience centers, at least according to preliminary estimates, a county official told Port Royal officials Wednesday.
Port Royal officials countered that some businesses and apartment complexes are reporting an uptick in garbage being illegally placed in private dumpsters in their community, and they suspect that’s linked to the changes at the county convenience centers.
“I’m getting a lot more complaints about messy dumpsters,” town manager Van Willis said.
The new decal program requires residents to have a decal on their vehicle before entering convenience centers.
David Wilhem, the county’s director of capital projects, attributed roughly $100,000 in savings to the decal system discouraging out-of-county residents and contractors from using the centers. He cautioned that the estimate is preliminary.
At least one local restaurant in Port Royal, Fishcamp on 11th Street, is now having its dumpster emptied six days a week instead of three because people are filling up the private dumpster, Willis said.
Tonya Murphy, the restaurant’s general manager, confirmed the problem Thursday. She said the restaurant is planning to build an enclosure because of all the garbage being placed there.
“We’re in the process of closing it off because there’s been so much drama with it,” Murphy said.
Overflowing garbage has caused neighbors to complain to police, she said, but the restaurant is doing everything it can, including sending out employees regularly to clean up around the dumpster.
County willing to help
Wilhem said the county has a three-person litter-control team out on the road 40 hours a week.
That team hasn’t seen an increase in litter on roadsides or illegal dump sites since the decal system went into place, Wilhem said. But the increase of garbage being placed in the private dumpsters may be an unintended consequence of stricter enforcement at the county convenience sites, he said.
The county also has three enforcement officers who search through garbage bags to identify those who illegally litter, he said.
The county is willing to volunteer the services of the litter-control team and enforcement officers to address the problem in Port Royal, Wilhelm said.
Beaufort County began requiring decals — a physical sticker on car windshields or an electronic version accessible by smartphone — at all dumps earlier this year. Less garbage is being dropped off at the convenience centers by contractors and out-of-town residents unable to use them because of the decal requirement, Wilhelm said. That’s resulted in lower transportation and disposal costs since Jan. 1.
The county implemented the decal system about the same time it reduced hours at all centers in October and closed the Pritchardville and Gate trash dumps in Bluffton and Beaufort in January. Those steps were taken as part of a broader effort by the county to cut huge costs of disposing of waste while encouraging more recycling.
Last year, Beaufort County established a solid waste and recycling enterprise fund and tasked consulting firm TischlerBise Inc. with studying how much money property owners should pay for trash and recycling services. The idea was that a yearly service fee would replace the amount of money residents typically pay for those services in property taxes.
Wilhem was invited to speak at Wednesday’s Port Royal Town Council meeting because of concerns about the county approving additional garbage and recycling fees, not overflowing dumpsters, which came up during the financial discussion.
The Beaufort County Council is leaning toward paying for garbage and recycling services through property taxes, but funds earmarked specifically for solid waste on individual property tax bills would be offset by a reduction in taxes for the general fund, canceling out any increase, he said.
“I want to emphasize there is no increase in taxes if we go forward with this structure,” Wilhem said.
The county’s solid waste budget is $10.3 million annually, which includes $4.5 million for landfill disposal fees, $2.5 million to run convenience centers and $1 million for recycling, Wilhem said.
