The Fairbanks North Star Borough is beginning a three week experiment aimed at improving conditions of a heavily used trash drop off location. The borough is cutting hours at the Farmers Loop East transfer site in Fairbanks from 24 to 12 hours per day during the trial period, which starts Thursday, June 8. Borough solid waste manager Bob Jordan said the facility will also be staffed.
“We’re planning on greeting customers as they come in and asking them some simple questions about what they’re there for and directing them where they need to go,” Jordan said. “And then having someone just sort of roving around assisting, helping, answering questions, just trying to make the experience a little bit more pleasant and safer, and a little bit more orderly.”
Jordan said it’s an attempt to halt unauthorized commercial use, stop dumping of wrecked cars and to address vehicle and pedestrian safety, and general lawlessness at the transfer site.
“We often find trash strewn all over the ground that’s been pulled out of the bins,” Jordan said. “And the bins are constantly getting spray-painted and the contractors just simply can’t keep up with that. As well as we’re finding a lot of needles and other things, and observing some drug activity.”
Last summer the borough made major upgrades to both the Farmers Loop east and west transfer sites, adding new lights, re-use shelters, hazardous waste collection bins, and access roads.
Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
