City cleans up on third stroll

Trash pickup concerns Madison Avenue residents

By Jim Gaines, jgaines@bgdailynews.com — 270-783-3242

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

City officials third Summer Stroll of the year turned into a litter-collecting trip in the Madison Avenue area.

About two dozen area residents, plus a few from the adjacent Forest Park area, turned out to talk with city representatives and walk around the neighborhood Monday. Most of the citys people and several of the residents took litter bags handed out by Neighborhood Action Coordinator Karen Foley, ready to pick up trash along the street.

Thats often done on Summer Strolls, though fewer bags are usually distributed. But last night, despite the number of bags, they filled up quickly and often. Strollers repeatedly emptied their litter bags into garbage cans along the street.

Garbage and related appearance problems were at the center of most residents concerns throughout the stroll. The group assembled in the basement of Madison Avenue General Baptist Church, where several residents complained about problems with garbage collection, saying that it sometimes takes weeks for trash to be picked up. City Code Enforcement Coordinator Alex Colovos said they should call Stan Reagan, county Environmental Planning & Assistance coordinator, with any complaints about Scott Waste Services work. If garbage still isnt collected, Colovos said, residents should call him and he will send out a city code inspector.

Suzie Basham, leader of the Madison Avenue Neighborhood Association, said that there are consistent problems with people leaving exposed trash at the curbside, attracting browsers, rodents and insects. It should be placed in cans with well-fitting lids and please, put them in the back yard, she told the crowd.

Old tires left on porches and in yards can collect water and breed mosquitos, Basham said.

If code inspectors find old tires sitting around, they can fine property owners $50, Colovos said.

Placing a tire out on the curb is not disposing of it, he said. We can still fine you for that.

On the stroll itself, Basham pointed out numerous lidless garbage cans to Mayor Elaine Walker. Colovos wrote down addresses at which he saw obvious code violations, collecting 21 house numbers.

The group, barked at by many caged and chained dogs, passed several abandoned houses and overgrown lawns, old brush piles and stacks of worn-out furniture.

The city has taken reports of 186 code violations in the Madison Avenue area from the start of July 2004 to the end of June, Colovos told the group.

Many of the areas problems seem to be the result of a large percentage of rental property, owned by absentee landlords, Walker said.

We have to get more home ownership, she said at the end of the stroll.

Bowling Green Police Capt. David Page said the city has had 103 animal-control complaints from the neighborhood in the last seven months, somewhat higher than in other parts of the city.

There are many stray cats in the area, and there are probably more pit bulldogs there than in any other part of the city, city Animal Control Officer Roxie Ross said.

Since the start of the year, police have only responded to 12 drug-related incidents in the area, Page said. But police Chief Bill Waltrip said they believe theres much more drug activity around Madison Avenue, and urged residents to report any suspicious activity.

But overall, the crime rate in the neighborhood is considerably lower than it was a few years ago, Page said.

Resident Steve Waters asked police for more enforcement to stop cut-through traffic with radios blasting, and squealing tires.

Every neighborhood reports similar problems, Waltrip said. But this fall, police will have more officers on the street than ever, and should get more time for traffic enforcement in neighborhoods, he said.

 Daily News ·813 College St. ·PO Box 90012 ·Bowling Green, KY ·42102 ·270-781-1700