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The Windsor Town Council voted unanimously March 12 to proceed with Spring Cleanup Days on Saturday, June 1, and Saturday, June 8, that would involve special residential refuse pick ups.

The majority of the cost associated with these cleanup days will be paid for by funds that came from a Refuse Control and Recycling Grant.

Windsor Town Manager William Saunders introduced the topic of the Spring Cleanup Days at the March 12 council meeting by highlighting those cleanup days held on April 1 and 15 of 2023.

“In the spring of 2023, the Town Council voted to use the Refuse Control and Recycling Grant funds to initiate special residential refuse pick ups,” he said.

He noted that Windsor received $3,221 for fiscal year 2024 from the Department of Environmental Quality’s Refuse Control and Recycling Grant funds, should the Town Council want to fund cleanup days again this year. 

He explained in a March 12 memo to the mayor and Town Council that two dates would be required to cover the town due to the transfer station being open only until noon on Saturdays.

He stated that Bay Disposal had the first two Saturdays in June available — June 1 and 8 — and the town would be billed $1,800 for each pick up day, creating a total cost of $3,600.

“Should the council want to move forward with this, the routes would be separated by water billing areas; informational flyers would be included with the April and May water bills,” he said. “Those that receive a water bill in April would participate in the pick up on Saturday, June 1; those that receive a water bill in May would participate in the Saturday, June 8, pick up.”

He made clear that these pick ups would be only for residential addresses that are currently served by Bay Disposal. Businesses or residences that are served by dumpsters would not qualify.

Windsor Mayor George Stubbs asked if Saunders had any idea what type of participation there is for the cleanup days.

“I honestly don’t,” Saunders said. “I don’t think (the cleanup) was done since before the pandemic until it was done last year. Last year was the first time in maybe four or five years, I’m not really sure, so I didn’t know if y’all wanted to start doing it every year now or every other year or whatever, but either way, if y’all wanted to continue to do it now, we did get the grant funds to be able to do it.”

Vice Mayor J. Randy Carr said, “So all this is pretty much funded by grants?”

Saunders indicated that the grant funds would cover $3,221 of the $3,600 total cost for the cleanup days, and the town would have to cover the remaining $379.

Councilman Walter Bernacki asked where specifically the $379 would come from, and Saunders said it would come from the town’s refuse and recycling line item.

Councilman Jake Redd said, “I think it’s a great idea.”

Carr agreed, but he wanted to know if, on the Friday before each cleanup day, one of the members of town staff could drive the route that the pick-up truck would be taking on Saturday to see if much refuse had been put out by residents for pick up.

“If you only see one pile of stuff sitting beside the road, then do we back up and regroup on what we do with that grant money?” he said. “If (they see) a lot of stuff beside the road, then it’s money well spent. I’d just like to know, for my knowing, how many people are involved as we are offering a cleanup two times. How many citizens do we get involved in this?”

Addressing ways to help answer that question, Saunders said, “We may be able to get the tipping tickets from the vendor as well too. At least in the bulk amount, we could maybe tell from year to year if there is a decline or increase.”

Bernacki asked if the $1,800 billed amount for each pick up day was a flat fee with no additional tipping fees on top of it, and Saunders noted that it was a flat fee.

Bernacki said, “I make a motion that we proceed with the refuse spring cleanup as presented for the June 1 and June 8 dates for the grant money and see how it goes, reevaluate it.”

The 6-0 vote followed.