Parker: Time to fix the mattress problem in Trenton
A search Thursday afternoon for mattresses discarded throughout the City of Trenton merely drew attention to this serious situation.
The count of 92, photographed and tagged with addresses, fell far short of finding a deluge of mattresses and box springs that litter city streets, alleys and wooded areas.
Currently, mattresses must be wrapped in plastic for collection by solid waste management, although considering the gravity of these mattress dumps a change in policy, even temporarily, sounds reasonable.
Allowing mattresses to litter streets, especially when no way exists to define previous owners, accomplishes nothing except allowing an accumulation of mattresses. Plus, when it rains, these mattresses embody 600-pound gorillas.
Case in point, five mattresses dumped at the corner of Hudson and Pearl streets belong essentially to the city. If we follow the plastic requirement rule then these mattresses will remain forever at this intersection.
Ten mattresses were discovered in an alley between Hudson and Cass streets. These square eyesores could be loaded onto a truck and removed in 15 minutes.
That short amount of time plus muscle could deliver an immediate improvement.
Of course, employees’ concerns about contracting bedbugs and infesting their homes represents an understandable fear.
Bedbug infestations produce mental anguish, place households in turmoil and their removal impact finances.
If city employees balk at collection then city officials should consider a temporary contract with a reputable mattress removal company.
Once under control, Trenton could start an information campaign to inform residents about wrapping mattresses in plastic, plus, Trenton must enforce laws, especially those connected to illegal dumping.
Trenton remains under siege by dumped automobile tires. The mattress hunt found a major automobile tire dump near Southard St. where several hundred tires line an off road.
This Trentonian list offers a way to remove 92 mattresses from our streets. The initiative and list creation offered a small piece to this significantly larger puzzle.
East Ward Councilman Joe Harrison requested a copy and Mayor Reed Gusciora’s office asked that this information be shared with the city’s public works department.
Personally, this excursion found that the East Ward suffers severe neglect, especially Oakwood Alley off of Gladstone Ave. A state of emergency should be declared in Chambersburg as trash piles.
The four-hour search did find a mattress and box spring wrapped in plastic near Washington and Kent streets.
A final summary notes that residents and businesses must clean up their acts throughout the city or face serious consequences including fines, arrests and community service sentences.