Wednesday, March 21, 2012
 
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CITY BRIEFS, Part 1:
Lincoln to get cleaned

New ordinances on abandoned homes and nuisances pass; citywide cleanup and landscape waste pickup planned

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[March 21, 2012]  On Monday evening, with eight members of the Lincoln City Council present, a couple of measures that would help clean up the city were brought to a vote.

Approval of new city codes

Aldermen voted unanimously to modify city ordinances regarding abandoned homes and nuisances. Aldermen Buzz Busby and Jeff Hoinacki were not present for the vote.

With the approval, John Lebegue, city building and safety officer, said he has a greater ability to pursue some of the neglected properties in Lincoln. Lebegue said he would immediately start working his way through a list of such properties.

He thanked the council for their support and said it would help him do his job better.

Fast track to demolition

With Area Disposal offering their services free of charge for a city cleanup, Mayor Keith Snyder has $20,000 in his budget that he has asked be used for fast-track demolition.

Lebegue has a short list of three abandoned homes he will be working to get into the fast-track program.

Citywide cleanup

A motion to accept the proposal from Area Disposal for a citywide cleanup was approved unanimously. Eric Shangraw and Walt Landers, representing Area Disposal, were present for the meeting.

Shangraw was immediately recognized by Alderwoman Marty Neitzel, who remembered him from his days behind the news desk on the Peoria television station and commented to that effect.

Shangraw confirmed he had a long career in the media, but he left that and, in his words, became "a trash man." Shangraw's official position with the company is as municipal marketing manager.

When he took the podium, he spoke about Area Disposal's decision to offer free services to the city of Lincoln for a citywide cleanup event.

Though Area Disposal is a large corporation, the local services have local roots. The local collection service was started as Landers Trash Services by Walt Landers' parents. Walt became the second-generation manager of the company before it was purchased by Area Disposal.

Even after the company was taken over, Landers has remained an integral part of the local daily operations.

Shangraw said there had been discussions with Mayor Keith Snyder about the cleanup days. When discussions between Shangraw, Landers and Snyder were finished, Landers told Shangraw, "I want to do this for Lincoln … free." Shangraw said, "OK then."

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Shangraw said final approval had to come from the corporate offices in Peoria, but that was accomplished, and Area Disposal was happy to be able to do something for the local community.

After the vote was taken and the program approved, Alderwoman Kathy Horn commented to Landers that his parents would be very proud of him for the service he had worked to provide to the city. Several others also spoke out expressing their appreciation to Landers and the company.

Two dates are set for the citywide cleanup: Saturday, April 28, and Saturday, May 5.

On both days Area Disposal will place large roll-off trash trailers at the Logan County Fairgrounds. Lincoln residents may bring in one car or pickup truck load of trash to be deposited in the roll-offs.

IDs will be checked to be sure haulers coming in are Lincoln residents. The items that can be hauled in include doors and windows, car tires, appliances that do not contain Freon, furniture and bulky items, and carpet and wood scraps, which must be bundled before being dumped.

Items that will not be accepted include hazardous and liquid wastes, truck or tractor tires, contaminated soils, asbestos products, car and truck batteries, concrete, brick, dirt, and appliances with Freon.

On April 28, the trash collected will be from residents who reside west of Union Street in Lincoln. Those who live east of Union will be permitted to haul in on May 5.

April lawn waste collection

Mayor Keith Snyder said he has been talking to Tracy Jackson of the city street department, and they are looking at also offering city pickup of lawn waste during the month of April.

This would include organic waste only, such as shrub clippings and tree branches.

Snyder said with this service on the calendar as well, April will truly become a cleanup month for the city of Lincoln.

[By NILA SMITH]

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