Cars, vans, pickups and vehicles pulling trailers started lining up shortly after 7 a.m. Saturday for the city of Perry’s first Community Drop-Off Day, which replaced the city’s annual curbside collection for the first time this year.
The event gave spring-cleaning residents a chance to haul their unwanted items to the parking lot of Pattee Park, where city crews were on hand to unload the junk and dispose of it at the landfill for a nominal fee.
Though scheduled to run from 8 a.m. until noon, city workers were on hand by 7 a.m., and drop-offs began shortly afterward.
“The response has been great,” said Perry Public Works Director Jack Butler, whose recommendation helped persuade the Perry City Council to try the new drop-off arrangements. “We’ve already had 56 people come though, and it’s barely nine o’clock.”
City Finance Officer Susie Moorhead collected fees, which ranged from $5 for an SUV full of junk to $15 for a truckload and $30 for a flatbed full. Participating residents received a free sticker good for one extra bag of garbage beyond the four-bag limit for weekly curbside pickup.
“Everybody’s been really nice,” Moorhead said. “There was some grumbling when we first announced it last month but today’s such a beautiful day that everybody seems pretty pleased.”
Thirty-one year veteran of the Perry Public Works Department laborer Alan Kelleher could be seen hauling away large appliances in a skip loader at a price of $10 each. Car tires, hazardous materials, batteries, TVs and computer monitors were not accepted.
Perry City Administrator Sven Peterson said the city might start organizing drop-off days more frequently if the first was well received. He said residents who could not haul their junk to Pattee Park or who have other difficult circumstances can always schedule a special pickup by calling the Perry City Hall at 515-465-2481.
Perry residents should also be aware of several upcoming dates when they can get rid of unwanted items. The first is the free appliance and scrap metal collection scheduled for Saturday, June 2 from 8 a.m. until noon at the Perry Recycling Center at 14325 Ivy Place.
H and W Recycling will accept all junk appliances, riding or walk-behind mowers, backyard grills, exercise equipment, scrap metal and electronics at no charge. The cost for disposal of regular-size televisions and monitors will be $15 each and for console televisions and big-screen TVs will be $30 each.
Other cleanup opportunities are coming for Perry residents. Saturday, June 15 from 8 a.m. until noon will bring the city’s annual used tire collection. The drop-off point will be the Perry Recycle Center located at 14325 Ivy Place. The first five car tires can be dropped off for free, with a $1-per-tire charge for each additional car tire beyond the first five.
Disposing large truck and tractor tires will cost $5.00 each. All tires must be removed from the rims. The tire drop-off is available to Perry residents only, and tires from businesses will not be accepted.
The city of Perry’s annual household hazardous waste collection is scheduled for Saturday, July 20 from 9 a.m. until noon at the Police Station/Fire Station parking lot located at 908 Willis Ave. Items accepted include antifreeze, batteries (only rechargeable), cleaners, fertilizers, fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), glues, gasoline and kerosene, motor oil (used), oil filters (used), oil-based paint, pesticides, poisons, pool chemicals, roofing tar, stains, varnishes, thermostats, thermometers (mercury), vegetable oil, weed killers and windshield fluid.
Items that will not be accepted include ammunition, asbestos, electronics, explosives, fire extinguishers, latex paint, medications, propane tanks and radioactive materials.
For more information on these events, visit the city of Perry’s website, or call the Perry City Hall at 515-465-2481.
