By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The city-wide cleanup in Great Bend has been a resounding success in its first two years. Residents got rid of 235 tons of tires in the first two years and filled 51 commercial-sized dumpsters the first year. The nine-day cleanup returns this Saturday at Sunflower Diversified Services, 5606 10th Street, but City Administrator Logan Burns said there are changes this year.
"The biggest thing this year is we're not going to be taking any tires just because of the huge expense that did have," he said. "We feel like we're at a point where we'll probably stop that for a couple of years and see where that leads us. The other thing is making sure we don't have any construction waste or any household hazardous waste as well."
Items accepted this year include refuse, metal, mattresses, and appliances. Recyclable items may be dropped off at Sunflower.
"Sunflower Diversified is going to be taking all of their usual items with office paper, magazines, newspapers, corrugated cardboard, tin cans, plastic bottles, plastic milk jugs, aluminum cans, and glass bottles," Burns said. "But then we'll have dumpsters for metal, mattresses, and appliances as well."
The cleanup will run from Oct. 19 through Oct. 27. The site will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the first Saturday (Oct. 19), from 1-5 p.m. on Sundays, and from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. City staff will again be present to assist with unloading.