County, City To Clean Up
Jasper County and the city of Monticello are on a drive to clean up junk cars and solid waste trash.
In the case of the county, Jasper County Code Enforcement Officer Raymond Rogers explains, “We’re concentrating on cleaning up the county so we can make people proud of it. We have a lot of abandoned vehicles and a lot of trash that’s being dumped. We end up with several cases in Magistrate Court each month from people dumping solid waste.”
The county ordinance covering solid waste was revised in 2002 for the purpose of promoting the health, safety, and general welfare of the present and future inhabitants of Jasper County, and to provide an orderly and safe disposal of waste.
The ordinance also defines litter, waste scrap tires, on public or private property; regulating the disposal and transportation of litter and waste; the use of containers or receptacles providing for the orderly disposal of waste, and prescribing penalties for violations of the ordinances.
Officer Rogers and the county want to make people aware of the solid waste problem.
“The procedure is,” Officer Rogers went on to say, “that if a complaint is called in, or I see an area that needs attention, we write a warning.
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The violator has 30 days after the warning to make a correction. If it’s a very large job we will allow extra time.
If it’s not corrected in the time allotted we go back and write a citation and a summons and the violator has to appear in Magistrate Court. The fine for a first offense is $300, and a second is $450. We have about 45 cases we’re working on now and we add to them everyday.”
Anyone wishing to register a complaint, or to read the county ordinance is encouraged to visit Officer Rogers at the Courthouse Annex at 162 N. Warren St., or call him at 468-4940.
In the case of the city, the Monticello Police Dept. has been enlisted in the clean up effort. According to Chief Danny Norris, an all-out effort is under way.
“We will start this month with a very aggressive campaign to clean up the city of junk cars, abandoned property, or property that is in ill repair, under the junk-car and abandoned property ordinances of the city.
Letters will be going out to the owners of property that fits the description of the ordinances and they will be given 30 days to comply. If the situation is not corrected after this period they will be given citations and brought into court for prosecution. There will be no exceptions, the chief said.
“Everybody who has junk property or junk cars that do not meet the code will have a letter sent out to them this week.”
