By Diana McFarland

 

Managing editor

A Carrollton business owner is fed up with trash being dumped or blown onto his property by residents and others when the refuse and recycling center is closed.

John Marshall of Marshall Enterprises owns property next to the Jones Creek Refuse and Recycling Center.  

The hours of the center, which have changed twice in the past two years, have led to angry people confronted with a closed gate and nowhere to put their trash.

In addition to dumping it on or near his property, Marshall said he’s often the unwilling recipient of “fussing and cussing” by those who are unaware of the change in hours.

“I hear about it. I can’t emphasize how much I hear about it,” he said.{mprestriction ids=”1,2,3,4,5,6″}

The new hours, which took effect July 1, has the Jones Creek center closed on Wednesdays, open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Monday and Friday, and from noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.

The new hours, changed from hours revamped in 2014, were designed to cut down on confusion. In 2014, the hours were changed to save money, but residents found them too confusing.

Prior to the hours changing twice, the convenience centers, now renamed as refuse and recycling centers, were open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.  

County officials said residents were made aware of the new hours with printed pamphlets, refrigerator magnets, ads in the newspapers and on the website, as well as new signs and information on the county’s PEG channel.

However, nothing was mailed directly to residents’ homes concerning the new hours, said Isle of Wight County Assistant County Administrator Don Robertson.

The hours can be found on the homepage under “other important notices.”

Signs was also posted, and along with the other methods, the county believes it has done its due diligence — and more so than the first time the hours were changed, said Newport District Supervisor William McCarty.

McCarty was told by residents that they don’t pay attention to mailings and that was one reason that method was not used.

McCarty has even gone so far as offering his church’s dumpster for those who are faced with a closed convenience center. His church, Healing Waters Worship Center, is located nearby on Smith’s Neck Road.

“I think we’re slowly settling in to the change,” McCarty said.

Marshall, however, believes that some residents are not getting the message.

Either they have just moved to the county, don’t go to the website or read the newspaper, Marshall said.

Some have done more than complain, he said, with many doing “rooster tails” and “donuts” as they leave his driveway in anger.

Worse, when the center is closed, workers can still be seen behind the closed gate cutting grass and doing maintenance, adding more fuel to the fire, Marshall said.

One guy even dumped two couches in the road, Marshall said.

McCarty said no couches were found and county employees have talked with Marshall about the problem.  {/mprestriction}