Cleanup project continues in Moore neighborhood

MOORE — “Everything went great,” Public Works Director Richard Sandefur said last week as he described the first two days of the cleanup project in the Lockhoma addition.

Residents of the northcentral Moore neighborhood had been told about the cleanup project and advised to have debris to the curb by July 10. The cleanup originally was expected to begin after city crews went through the neighborhood to determine how much time would be needed for the work.

However, Sandefur said the cleanup began about 7:30 a.m. July 10 on the west side of Lockhoma.

“We knew we had to pick it up, and we have three ‘Terminator’ trucks to do it,” he said, referring to three grapple trucks that are equipped with a boom and a clamshell loader that picks up debris. The operator then maneuvers the loader to release the trash into the truck’s container.

Sandefur said the container holds 20 cubic yards of material.

Sanitation workers were back in Lockhoma early July 11. Robert McKinley, who operates one of the trucks and has worked for the city for 34 years, said he had been collecting debris since 7 a.m. He expected to be involved with the cleanup for two weeks.

Sandefur said each truck would make three trips a day through the neighborhood. Community Development Director Elizabeth Weitman said the debris will go to the landfill at S Bryant Avenue and Interstate 240.

Many of the debris piles consisted of tree limbs and branches, but there were also wood fence panels and other wooden items. One house had a toilet placed next to a pile of tree limbs.

Sandefur said the idea is for residents to put out “anything that would improve the look of the place.” He said people will have until Wednesday to place all their debris at the curb. He expects the final cleanup day will be Friday.

After the cleanup ends, code enforcement workers will go through the neighborhood looking for violations. If a violation is found, a courtesy notice will be issued. The city will provide a final big trash pickup after the courtesy notice

After that cleanup is completed, there will be another check by code enforcers. If a violation is found, a notice will be issued, along with a compliance date. If the problem is not fixed by that date, the city will have the situation handled by private contractors, and the property owner will be billed for the work.

Moore Sanitation Department worker Michael Brooks handles the controls of the grapple truck on Cass Avenue in the Lockhoma addition.

[PHOTOS BY THOMAS MAUPIN, FOR THE OKLAHOMAN] All three of Moore’s “Terminator” grapple trucks were working last week on Poplar Drive. One of the drivers said he and his co-workers have to watch out for sagging power lines such as those above the truck pictured at right.