Clean-up day slated for April 17

Nevada, Mo. -- It has been a long hard winter; and now that spring has arrived it is time to get rid of all that stuff that has accumulated around the house and yard. To help residents get rid of those treasures that have passed their prime and the limbs that have fallen from trees, the city of Nevada and Vernon County are sponsoring the annual spring clean-up day from 8 a.m. to noon, on April 17.

"This is really very beneficial to the city and county residents who use it," Richard Brockman, Nevada's code enforcement officer, said.

He said that since the city and county started offering this service, the tonnage of trash collected on the clean-up days has dropped significantly, as has the number of old tires that are collected.

Brockman said the clean-up day activities will again be split between the public works site and the recycling center.

He said they will have large dumpsters across the street from the city's Public Works building on South Jefferson to dispose of household trash and cast-offs that are normally accepted at landfills. This site also will be accepting tires. There will be city employees available to help with the process.

In addition to a trash drop-off, the city's compost site on South Jefferson will also be open to accept tree limbs, leaves and yard waste.

Brockman said that compost mulch will be available to the public at no charge; residents should bring something to put it in.

The city's compost facility is normally open from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday; and from 8 a.m. to noon on the first and third Saturdays of the month.

For newcomers, the easiest way to reach the public works building is to go east on Maple Street until it turns into Jefferson at the pubic works building.

The Nevada-Vernon County Recycling Center, at the intersection of East Locust and Colorado also will be open from 8 a.m. to noon. In addition to accepting its normal recycling items, the recycling center will be accepting household hazardous waste, except latex paint, appliances and old electronics, including televisions, computer monitors, keyboards, mice and old computers. There will be no charge for dropping off electronics, which most landfills will not accept because of the hazardous materials used in the manufacture of such items.

Brockman said that to dispose of latex paint, mix it with sawdust or some other material and when it sets up it can be put with the regular household trash.

Anyone in need of a contractor to haul their trash can get a list of licensed contractors by calling City Hall at (417) 448-2700.

In addition to the city-county clean-up day, the city will be allowing open burning between Saturday, April 17, and Sunday, May 2, to allow residents to dispose of yard waste.

According to a release from the city, during this period residents do not have to call the city for permission to burn between daylight and dusk, providing the winds are no higher than 15 mph, a garden hose or fire extinguisher is available at all times and the fire is constantly attended by a competent person until the fire is extinguished.

Fires cannot be more than 6 feet square and 4 feet high within a cleared area and must be at least 25 feet from any structure. No one is allowed to burn material on any public street, sidewalk or other public right-of-way.

No flammable or combustible liquid can be used to start a fire or to keep it burning.

The city also prohibits burning of garbage, rubber, plastics, leather, dead animals, bedding furniture, or trash containing food cans, bottles and disposable diapers.

If the city receives complaints from neighbors, permission to burn will be revoked.