Cleanup hauls away more than 854 tons of trash

Cape Girardeau public works crews hauled off more than 854 tons of trash last week in what may be the last spring cleanup. The city council has decided to eliminate the cleanup effort starting next year. The move will save the city an estimated $52,000. Tim Gramling, public works director, said 75 employees hauled off 854.6 tons of trash, including more than 678 tons of refuse, nearly 86 tons of yard waste, and over 90 tons of appliances. Picking up the residential trash required over 3,000 man-hours, including 326 hours of overtime, Gramling said. City crews hauled off about 50 less tons of trash than the previous cleanup effort. Gramling said the fact that the cleanup occurred right after the Easter holiday might have kept some people from cleaning out their houses. In addition, Gramling said some city residents might have mistakenly thought the city eliminated the cleanup program for this year.

Gramling said city crews still had no shortage of work last week. "It's still a pretty good amount of trash," he said.