Bulk Trash

Baltimore City workers will no longer accept appointments to pick up bulk trash, Public Works officials said Friday, making the popular service an early victim of the city's budget woes. Residents can still drop off items at any of the city drop-off centers; a list of them can be found at http://www.baltimorecity.gov. But because of potential budget cuts and loss of staff beginning in the new fiscal year, which begins July 1, officials said there may not be a sufficient work force to offer the service, even through the remainder of this fiscal year.

Several city services will be affected by a mandatory furlough day for Baltimore employees and the upcoming Christmas holiday. All city buildings, except police headquarters, will be closed on Friday, Dec. 23 because of a furlough day. Residents will not be able to pay bills or obtain permits in person though some services will be available online. Trash and recycling will be collected according to the normal schedule but there will not be bulk trash collection. Parking meters will be in effect.

Baltimore will continue to offer free curbside bulk trash collection through June 30, 2012, the Department of Public Works confirmed Friday. The city's tight budget led DPW to review whether a fee should be charged for bulk trash pickup during this fiscal year. In mid-October, DPW spokeswoman Celeste Amato said that a fee would be unlikely before fiscal 2012. Baltimore residents will receive notice of any changes in bulk trash service, DPW said. To schedule bulk pickup, residents should call 311 at least three days prior to their neighborhood's regular bulk collection day. No more than three items will be collected for a single residence.

Baltimore will continue to offer free curbside bulk trash collection through June 30, 2012, the Department of Public Works confirmed Friday. The city's tight budget led DPW to review whether a fee should be charged for bulk trash pickup during this fiscal year. In mid-October, DPW spokeswoman Celeste Amato said that a fee would be unlikely before fiscal 2012. Baltimore residents will receive notice of any changes in bulk trash service, DPW said. To schedule bulk pickup, residents should call 311 at least three days prior to their neighborhood's regular bulk collection day. No more than three items will be collected for a single residence.

After getting a maelstrom of criticism, County Executive Charles I. Ecker backed off yesterday from a proposal to end bulk trash collection -- at least for a while.The executive said the county will continue picking up large trash item such as appliances and furniture every 2 1/2 months until June 30.The criticism came immediately from County Council members and village managers in Columbia following a Nov. 30 announcement that the county planned to end the bi-monthly service on Jan. 25."A lot of people felt there was not enough warning," Mr. Ecker said yesterday.

I WANTED THIS to be a special day. I wanted it to be - pardon my optimistic nature - memorable. I had planned to take the morning off to stand on my street here in Baltimore, Queen City of the Patapsco Drainage Basin, and look on as a city trash truck pulled up and muscular men from the Bureau of Solid Waste removed my bulk, including Buzz's old smoker. I wanted to give the solid-waste guys some cookies, too. Maybe some cash. But it's not going to happen - again. I have failed, for the third month in a row, to make an appointment to have my bulk trash removed.

The county government is quietly phasing out curbside pickup of bulk trash, such as sofas and air conditioners -- a move that has drawn fire from County Council members and neighborhood leaders."

Union Bridge will help residents with spring cleaning, but every household will have to fend for itself in the fall.A semiannual free trash collection is straining the town budget, said Mayor Perry L. Jones Jr.The fall cleanup day fell to the budget ax when Councilman Bret Grossnickle said "once a year is enough."The Town Council voted unanimously Monday to cancel the service, usually scheduled for a Saturday in October. Spring cleanup is safe for now and remains on the municipal calendar.

Erich Hofmann's crew hauled 210,000 pounds of trash from Taneytown on bulk pickup day last month. That's 42 pounds for each man, woman and child in the city of about 5,000. "At one location, I picked up six hot water heaters," he told the City Council recently. "I ain't figured out yet where they all come from." Taneytown is in a trash predicament. Like many cities and towns in Carroll County, it offers bulk pickup for residents. Twice a year, in May and September, Browning-Ferris Industries Inc., which holds the city's trash removal contract, takes the large discards, from refrigerators to bookshelves to tree limbs.

I live directly across the street from an alley where people regularly dump their trash - bags of food waste, old furniture, bags of household items, building materials, etc. Baltimore City's 311 service has been very responsive every time I've called to have the abandoned waste removed. However, I recently discovered a loophole that contributes to the wide-spread problem of abandoned trash throughout the city, especially in less-affluent areas. Today was trash day, and my neighbor's carpet from his flooded basement was in bags next to where the regular trash is collected.

I live directly across the street from an alley where people regularly dump their trash - bags of food waste, old furniture, bags of household items, building materials, etc. Baltimore City's 311 service has been very responsive every time I've called to have the abandoned waste removed. However, I recently discovered a loophole that contributes to the wide-spread problem of abandoned trash throughout the city, especially in less-affluent areas. Today was trash day, and my neighbor's carpet from his flooded basement was in bags next to where the regular trash is collected.

The city will resume bulk trash pickups Aug. 2 after a hiatus of more than one month, the public works department announced Monday. Residents may begin calling 311 to schedule collection of bulk trash, which includes items such as appliances, furniture and tires without rims. The program was nearly eliminated as the city grappled with a $121 million shortfall, but officials restored funding for bulk trash pickups with the proceeds of a package of new taxes and fees. Collections have been halted since June.

Baltimore City workers will no longer accept appointments to pick up bulk trash, Public Works officials said Friday, making the popular service an early victim of the city's budget woes. Residents can still drop off items at any of the city drop-off centers; a list of them can be found at http://www.baltimorecity.gov. But because of potential budget cuts and loss of staff beginning in the new fiscal year, which begins July 1, officials said there may not be a sufficient work force to offer the service, even through the remainder of this fiscal year.

Nearly every one of the cuts Mayor Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake has said will be necessary if the city doesn't enact her $50 million tax package will be painful to residents across the city. From police department staffing at the top of the list to graffiti removal at the bottom, virtually every cut could, in ways great or small, imperil the progress Baltimore has made in recent years. That's certainly true of bulk trash pickup, without which city officials are justifiably worried about an increase in illegal dumping of unsightly items such as refrigerators, mattresses and sofas.

The woman sounded panicky and apologetic. "I forgot!" she hollered from the second floor of her North Baltimore rowhouse. What she forgot was to lug her ancient console television out the front door so it could be hauled away by the city's bulk trash pickup service. And now here was the big green city truck, idling outside on Oakland Avenue. Larry Eley, the easygoing 38-year-old crew chief, gazed up at her from the walkway. He wanted her to know there probably wouldn't be a next time.

Most Baltimore city services will be suspended Friday when the majority of city workers take their first of five mandatory furlough days. Some key services that will be closed or altered are: * All city buildings, including recreation centers, health clinics, administrative buildings and City Hall, will be closed. * All towed vehicles will be taken to the city lot at 410 Fallsway, where they can be claimed until 7 p.m. After that, vehicles will be moved to the city lot at 6700 Pulaski Highway, where they can be picked up from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

I PLAY BY the rules. If we're shooting hoops, and I'm pretending to be Lonny and my daughter is Juan and my son is Steve, and if I, like, hack my son from behind while going for a rebound, I call a foul on myself -- even if it's not, like, blatant and I could have gotten away with it. You know what I'm saying? I play by the rules. It's the city of Baltimore that doesn't. The city last week robbed me of one of the best friends I ever had, and I'm thinking of sending the mayor a bill for compensatory damages, and maybe mental anguish.

Nearly every one of the cuts Mayor Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake has said will be necessary if the city doesn't enact her $50 million tax package will be painful to residents across the city. From police department staffing at the top of the list to graffiti removal at the bottom, virtually every cut could, in ways great or small, imperil the progress Baltimore has made in recent years. That's certainly true of bulk trash pickup, without which city officials are justifiably worried about an increase in illegal dumping of unsightly items such as refrigerators, mattresses and sofas.

In Baltimore County 3-year-old girl dies in apparent drowning GARRISON - A 3-year-old girl died this week in Baltimore County's first water accident of the season, police said yesterday. Holland Smith was spotted by lifeguards at the Green Spring Valley Hunt Club floating face down in the shallow end of the pool about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. She died that night at Sinai Hospital, police said. Her father, Stuart Smith, of the 200 block of St. Dunstans Road in Baltimore, told police he had not seen his daughter for 20 minutes before she was found, said Officer Shawn Vinson, a county police spokesman.