The City of Alcoa Public Works and Engineering (PW&E) Department is requesting aid from the public to adhere to existing brush and bulky waste removal requirements. At the start of the new year, the PW&E Department will be following the current ordinance guidelines explicitly stating the brush and bulky waste service is a residential service only. To maintain the serviceability of equipment and safety of employees, the PW&E Department will be adhering to protocol in the ordinance for proper brush and bulky waste removal.
ZONING
Beginning January 1, the PW&E Department will no longer be collecting brush or bulky waste from commercial properties, which includes apartment/rental complexes with five (5) or more units. The brush and bulky waste service will only pick up from serviceable residentially zoned properties. Brush or bulky waste MUST be placed on the property from which it comes from. Items placed in the street or on empty property will no longer be picked up, which includes all illegally dumped brush and bulky waste. Debris shall not be placed in the road or on the sidewalk.
Shane Snoderly, Director of Public Works and Engineering, explains, “We are working to keep our service level as high as possible which requires us to be more diligent in what we are picking up. We’ve been more relaxed on the protocol established in the city code 52 years ago, and it’s more evident now from the wear and tear on our equipment. By adhering to the ordinance, we still ensure the service is provided to residents while guaranteeing employee safety and equipment maintenance. But we need help from our community to make sure this process works. We can’t see everything, so we are asking our residents to help find illegal dumping areas around the city.”
TYPE OF DEBRIS
Beginning January 1, the PW&E Department will be enforcing the current ordinance’s type and size of debris for residential users. Large construction debris will no longer be picked up, which includes large projects such as residential construction or demolition. Crews will no longer pick up root balls of any size and tree stumps/logs over 8-inches in diameter. Acceptable brush for pickup includes trimmings, tree branches/limbs, and logs less than 8-inches in diameter. If a resident places any items that do not align with the existing ordinance, the brush or bulky waste on that property will not be picked up.
The PW&E Department requests help from residents to keep the community clean and maintain the safety of the employees and serviceability of current equipment. Snoderly adds, “It’s going to take all of us working together. We want to keep this community beautiful and clean while also making sure we keep our employees as safe as possible.”
If a resident does have items that are larger than indicated above, then the brush or bulky waste will need to be taken to the landfill. Landfill operating hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., Monday through Saturday, unless otherwise posted. Please visit our website for demolition permits for all large-scale construction/demolition projects.
For more information or questions, please contact the Public Works and Engineering Department at (865) 380-4800.