Milton council seeks solution to commercial trash issues

An enclosure around the commercial trash dumpster near M&T Bank in Milton will serve commercial businesses in that area.

Town council took up the issue Nov. 6 after receiving complaints about trash from the dumpster and the surrounding bins ending up in the Broadkill River or in the streets. Town Manager Kristy Rogers said some ideas bandied about included either putting in a new receptacle near Governors Walk or at the M&T Bank property. The chosen solution is to build an enclosure at the end of Federal Street Extended, the alleyway that runs between the bank and Irish Eyes, where the dumpster and trash cans are now. 

Rogers said the intention is to try to control the trash that comes from that area, where several businesses are located, whether that's through doing collection every day or every other day. 

While the plan for an enclosure still needs fleshing out, Mayor John Collier suggested that users would be charged a surcharge for using the enclosure, to offset costs for the town. 

“We’re building them a convenience. That’s what it amounts to,” Collier said. 

Rogers said besides the commercial businesses, residents who live in the apartments above The Mercantile could also benefit from the enclosure and take part in the program. Her thought is that the enclosure would be made of pressure-treated materials, so it could be powerwashed to keep the area clean, and using gravel or some kind of permeable surface underneath could allow water to flow through. 

Rogers said with council’s approval, town administration can now work on a design and work out costs. Council unanimously approved of Rogers moving forward with plans, although no timetable for when the enclosure will be built has been put forth at this time.