From walking trails to streets, Columbus looking trashier than it’s ever been, city employee says

If you live in South Columbus and frequently toss bags of trash along a popular walking trail that hasn’t officially opened yet, you might want to collect that litter before authorities start sifting through it for your name.

Area law enforcement and the Keep Columbus Beautiful Commission have come up with new ideas to fight a growing problem with litter throughout the entire city. Under a 2006 law, officers may cite offenders if your name or other information is found among improperly discarded solid waste, said Gloria Weston-Smart, executive director of the Keep Columbus Beautiful Commission.

Ideas to fight litter were considered during a Jan. 11 Litter Enforcement Training session at the Public Safety Center. It included officers from Muscogee County Marshal’s Office, Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, Columbus Police Department and enforcement personnel from the Consolidated Government.

“We talked about some ways we could try and reduce litter and address those people who are littering and breaking the law,” Weston-Smart said Friday. “The whole training was to engage and encourage the officers to look at opportunities for them to issue citations.”

That might get the attention of people dumping trash along the Follow Me Trail near Torch Hill Road and Eagles Trace Apartments. Bags of trash are dumped along paths on the east side of the trail called Matheson Loop.

Weston-Smart said the problem with litter is not just in one area. “I just received an email from one citizen, and he actually emailed every one of the councilors,” she said. “He was concerned not just about litter in his community but throughout Columbus.”

Officers have a number of fronts on which to battle litter. It spills from unsecured loads, and motorists dump waste from their vehicles at intersections. Most of the waste on the roadways gets there by vehicles, one way or the other, Weston-Smart said.

Even city employees who are frequently out in neighborhoods have seen a difference in the amount of litter. “Citizens have gotten to the point they just don’t care about littering anymore,” an employee said. “That’s why the city is looking trashier than it ever has.”

When it comes to cleaning up litter, Weston-Smart said fewer people also are available for community service. Instead of picking up trash on the right-of-ways, many are getting a slip from the doctor, prohibiting them from outside work.

“One officer said during the training, that what we need to do is get with the judges,” she said. “If they can’t do cleanup, then they need to do the jail time.”

Rick Jones, director of the Planning Department and one who has coordinated the expansion of trails in the city, said he wasn’t aware of the waste along the Follow Me Trail. “We’ll look at that and see if we can’t get that cleaned up,” he said.

There is a sad trend about any area with a solid waste problem. “Where there is litter, it continues to compile,” Weston-Smart said. “Once people start, they just keep adding to it. It is an issue. We are working on it. “

If you’ve seen something that needs attention, give me a call.

This story was originally published January 21, 2018 at 6:17 PM with the headline "From walking trails to streets, Columbus looking trashier than it’s ever been, city employee says."