WHEELING - As word spread last week that the Ohio River could exceed its banks, Wheeling Island residents voiced concerns about excessive trash and debris being placed behind some of their neighbors' homes.
Russell Jebbia, director of Public Works for the city of Wheeling, said his office began to receive phone calls Friday from concerned residents of the Island, expressing frustration that some of their neighbors were putting large amounts of trash in the alleys after hearing predictions that the river could flood as early as Sunday evening. Jebbia said garbage pickup for the Island was not scheduled until Wednesday - several days after any potential flooding.
"It was obvious that a lot of this stuff was expected to float away. ... Well it is going to go somewhere, and somebody else is going to have to clean it up," Jebbia said, noting this frustration is something his office has dealt with before. He added that only a "limited" number of residents put out the extra garbage.
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(Photo by Scott McCloskey)
Some Wheeling Island residents have made complaints to city officials about excessive trash being put out while flood predictions were being made.
Jebbia said many residents who called were worried the extra trash would eventually end up in their yards.
"Most of the stuff that is out there is just garbage - it is just junk," Jebbia said. "Unfortunately what happens is depending on how much of a flood event we have, sometimes it just moves from behind their house just down the street behind another neighbor's house, or else it just gets stuck in somebody's chain link fence or sits in a parking lot," Jebbia said.
"City ordinances are very clear ... when it comes to your trash collection, you're only supposed to put it out on the night before the trash collection," Jebbia added.
Jebbia noted the annual "Spring Cleanup" for the city begins in just a few weeks. He said the solid waste authority is scheduled to have Dumpsters at the Island Marina between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. April 22 and suggested residents take advantage of that opportunity to dispose of unwanted items.