Proposed Initiative to Clean Up Dumped Trash on City Streets

(Memphis) A proposed city ordinance aims to clean up neighborhoods while taking away criminals’ cars.

A huge mound of tires is piled in front of an empty house Jason Schwindemann planned on buying to rent out, but “it seems like a declining area, I don`t think I would have much luck in the area,” said Schwindemann.

” It`s a real flagrant display of ‘we don`t care about this neighborhood and we don`t care about doing right” expressed Councilman Lee Harris, who does care.

He tells News Channel 3, the city pays about a half a million dollars a year to clean up dump sites.
The crooks often work for companies that aren`t paying to use designated and legal sites. Instead they throw it on your street.

” They need their vehicle to go from place to place. If we impound their vehicle they will get the message fast,” said Harris.

Tuesday, other Memphis city council members will hear Harris`plan to impound cars and keep them until  fines are paid for dumping. Later this year, Harris will also propose installing cameras in the city to catch the culprits and raise fines.  He also wants to make it possible to dump trash for free at legal sites a few days a year. Harris hopes his ideas change how Memphis neighborhoods look.

” We get to catch some perpetrators, we get to stop people from dumping and we get to reduce our costs associated with dumping,,” said Harris.

Schwindemann is all for it, saying it could help breathe life back into the city.

” I hope this side of the button neighborhood just gets better and better,” said Schwindemann.