Snow dump lacks policing

The city has not policed private contractors using its Beebee Island Public Works facility to dump snow into the Black River for more than 20 years.

Department of Public Works Superintendent Eugene P. Hayes said he cannot recollect any citations being issued for illegally dumping at the site during his more than two decades in the position.

"I can't remember one," he said. "But at the same time, we're not exactly looking for them, either."

Mr. Hayes said Monday night during the City Council meeting that policing would require 24-hour surveillance of the site, something his crews cannot accomplish.

"We're there watching during times of heavy snow," he said.

Discussion about the dump site was prompted by complaints from companies concerning the newly implemented $500 permit fee to dump snow at the site. The City Council approved a number of fees in July in an attempt to raise additional revenue. At the time the fees were approved, the city expected to raise an additional $15,000 by imposing the dumping fee.

Scott R. Cox, owner of Rayex Property Services, Calcium, operates two trucks that occasionally dump snow at the site. While he agrees there needs to be a fee, he said $500 is too expensive for smaller hauling companies.

"I could go somewhere else and dump the snow," he said. "I don't want to ... because there's more turnaround time involved."

The council ultimately agreed to lower the cost of dumping to $150 for each truck listed on the permit application, with a maximum cost of $500 to each company. While one company does list 18 trucks on its permit, about half of the companies that dump snow at the site use fewer than five, Mr. Hayes said.

The city issued permits to 22 companies last winter, not including trucks from the state and Jefferson County, which also dump snow at the site. The total weight dumped from the island into the Black River cannot be calculated because there isn't an industrial scale at the site. The DPW also does not count the number of loads dumped, Mr. Hayes said.

State Department of Environmental Conservation spokes-man Stephen W. Litwhiler has said the state allows the city to use the site to dump snow into the Black River.

The revenue being raised by the dumping fee goes into the general fund and is not earmarked for improvements for the site. Mr. Hayes said DPW workers spent time last summer installing lights on the property. The city had used lighting provided by the neighboring Freeman Bus Corp. maintenance garage, but those lights were damaged in a May fire.

Also during the meeting, the council set a hearing for 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 to allow the public to voice its opinion of a used car lot being proposed for 804 State St. A majority of the council members have said they are opposed to Mark Bonner's request for a special use permit to open a used car lot on the vacant property.

City Attorney Robert J. Slye told council members following Monday's meeting that they can deny the permit if they feel the lot will not mesh with the surrounding neighborhood.