Illegal dumping dominates County talks

By LPR Staff
Editor/POST-REGISTER

Concern about the state of Caldwell County turned to the amount of illegal dumping taking place on rural roads on Monday morning as the Caldwell County Commissioners heard their first quarterly report from Environmental Control Officer Mike Bittner.

According to Bittner, between Oct. 15, 2008, and Jan. 16, 2009, he co

llected nearly 34,000 pounds of trash from Caldwell County roadsides. Among that were a dozen mattresses, seven televisions, and a variety of other items, including furniture and appliance. Notably, he said, he collected 442 tires, five car batteries and two automobile gas tanks, along with several gallons of oil and paint.

“It’s amazing how much you’ve picked up in just a short time,” County Judge H.T. Wright said. “But when you pick it up, it’s right back the next day.”

Wright reiterated that the Court does not want the citizens of Caldwell County to think free trash collection is “a service provided by the county,” and warned that those found to be dumping their trash on roadsides would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

“If you see someone driving slow out in the country and kind of looking around, make a note of their license plate number, especially if they are in a car or truck with furniture or other bulky items that look like they need to be discarded,” Commissioner Joe Roland said. “Because a lot of the time, those people are looking for a place where no one is passing by where they can back their truck up and dump their load without getting caught.”

Anyone witnessing illegal dumping is encouraged to contact the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Department at (512) 398-6777.

In brief news:
The Commissioners heard a report from Amy Madison regarding participation in a regional economic development strategic planning group. The Court agreed to participate in the process, which requires a financial commitment of $10,000 from the county over the next year.

The County paid bills in the amount of $394,035.82, which includes $1,128 in indigent legal defense and $15,18.02 for indigent health care.

The Court received information from County AgriLife Extension Agent Jeff Watts, who reported Caldwell County has been recognized as one of the driest counties in the nation. Check next week’s Post-Register for a full report from Watts, as well as other agriculture experts on how the drought is impacting Caldwell County’s agricultural production.