PORT TOWNSEND — Port of Port Townsend commissioners are looking for ways to get garbage collection costs under control and reduce what staff members call a “staggering” $124,500 annual garbage bill.
One answer could be to post more explicit signs against unauthorized dumping, it was suggested at the commissioners’ meeting Wednesday.
But past experience shows that isn’t always helpful.
The most recent sign the port erected was found later in the Dumpster, said Assistant Port Director Jim Pivarnik.
A Dumpster with a 30-yard capacity located inside the Boat Haven is costing the port $30,000 a year.
Six other locations are maintained by the port.
All are private and intended only for tenants, but others also are using them, Port Executive Director Larry Crockett said.
Crockett said he has observed one woman regularly dumping her household garbage into a Dumpster at Port Hudson and that trash collectors often find material that obviously did not originate from the port or its clients.
The large Boat Haven Dumpster is particularly vulnerable to unauthorized dumping because it is not inside a fenced area.
One solution would be to lock the Dumpster after hours or place it within a fenced area.
Port Commissioner Leif Erickson suggested removing the Dumpster altogether.
“If you’ve ever taken a boat up to Alaska and stopped at some of the little marinas along the way, it is nearly impossible to find a place to dump your garbage,” he said.
This is a good thing, Erickson said, because most of the boaters find trash-disposal alternatives on their own, and the marinas are usually kept clean.
Crockett said there should be an easy disposal option for port tenants — “otherwise, you might have piles of junk all over the place.”
Installing cameras as a deterrent was also discussed, since security cameras throughout the Boat Haven are now under consideration for other reasons, Crockett said.
Sending bills to offenders was another measure considered.
To do that, the port must erect signs.
For the bills to be upheld, signs would have to be in place before demand for payment was made, said attorney Carolyn Lake.
Commissioners took no action Wednesday and are awaiting more information from port staff.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.`