Last week, the issue was discussed at the Sewer Authority meeting.

 

Clearwater Mayor Pete Edmonson explained the situation to the other Sewer Authority members. He said Clearwater recently closed its brush dumping site near the water tower on Co. Rd. 75 because of a number of issues.

 

Neighbors complained about the smoke that drifted across to their homes every time the pile was burned. The burning was also causing soot problems on the water tower.

 

The city council looked at different options, including locating a new site in Clearwater Twp. or Lynden Twp. Or moving it to one of the city’s parks, or contracting with an outside vendor to take the brush.

 

“We don’t have a site that makes sense for the residents the way our city is laid out,” said Edmonson.

 

Since closing the site, the city’s maintenance crew picks up and chips the brush along with regular curbside pick-up the first Wednesday of each month.

Clearwater resident Paul Koopmeiners, who had brought up the issue at the previous city council meeting, said the city was wasting money by paying city workers to do something residents were previously doing on their own.

 

And he said now people have to leave brush in their front yard until pick-up day.

 

“People could have a pile of brush sitting on the curb for up to a month waiting for pick up. There’s a lot of people who would like to dump their own brush rather than waiting for the city to come and pick it up,”  he said. “I know we could save the City of Clearwater some money.”

 

Edmonson asked whether members of the Sewer Authority would consider locating a brush dumping site at the sewer plant.

 

Clear Lake Mayor Tim Goenner, also the vice-chair of the Sewer Authority, said the Clear Lake City Council would have to approve such a request, since the sewer plant is in the City of Clear Lake.

 

Clear Lake Councilman Dale Powers said the city doesn’t have a brush dumping site. He said many people in Clear Lake just burn their brush.

Edmonson said that wouldn’t work in Clearwater, which has about three times as many residents as Clear Lake.

 

“I can see with 300, 400 or 500 people in the city, that may not cause a problem,” he said. “But when you’ve got 1,700 people or 1,500....”

Powers said he understood the issue, but was concerned about problems that might occur dumping at the Sewer Authority site.

 

“One of the issues cities have with people bringing their own stuff is liability because we don’t know what you’re bringing,” he said. “With the curbside (pick-up) there’s more control. I know it’s not elegant to have it by the side of the street, but the city crew picks it up. Then there’s control over what goes here.”

 

Goenner said the former Clearwater site was right on Co. Rd. 75 where people could see who was dumping. But the sewer plant is in an isolated area where no one is watching.

 

“What happens if someone dumps hazardous waste out there? Who picks up the bill?” he asked. “It’s out of site, out of mind. Trust me, they’ll dump it.”

 

Since the Sewer Authority site is fenced, Koopmeiners said dumping could be monitored. He said many cities charge an annual permit fee to cover the costs of staffing the site.

 

“You could have it open one night a week where it’s controlled,” he said. “You’ll have to pay someone to be there, but I think it would get a fair amount of use.”

 

Plant Operator Tony Strande said there would still be issues when the site was closed.

 

“It ends up in front of the gate,” he said. “That’s my biggest problem. People know you’re closed so they’ll just dump it out by the gate.”

Member Vern Scott said there should be a camera and the two cities could split the cost.

 

Powers said people in Sherburne County could take their yard waste to a compost site in Becker. He asked whether there was a similar site in Wright County.

 

The Wright County compost/recycling site is located near Maple Lake on Co. Rd. 37. But none of the members knew whether it accepted brush.

 

By consensus, members agreed to pursue the issue further. Goenner said he would bring it before the Clear Lake Council. Edmonson said they would check into the Wright County site and look into the costs for a security camera and the cost to have a staff person man the site.

 

A joint meeting between both councils is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 15.