Hauling debris around Lawton without a cover? It will cost you more

Drivers who don’t cover their debris before hauling it to the city landfill can expect to pay a higher fine.

But not as high as initially planned.

City Council members directed the action — to go into effect Nov. 24 — as part of efforts to clean up the community. A particular thorn is debris that blows off vehicles transporting materials to the city landfill on South 11th Street, especially for residents who live adjacent or near the most commonly traveled routes to the landfill.

City staff suggested a multi-pronged approach to tackle that problem, starting with increasing the fee charged for those who drive vehicles to the city landfill without a tarp or other covering over the materials to ensure they don’t fall or blow out of the vehicle in transit. That fee now is $28.75 for anyone who doesn’t comply with city code requiring covered loads, assessed in addition to other fees they may have to pay. City administrators had proposed increasing that fee significantly, to $100 for residential customers and $200 for commercial customers.

Council members split the difference last week, electing to keep the $200 fee for commercial vehicles but drop the residential charge to $50. Commercial vehicles are defined in city code as vehicles larger than 1 ton or a vehicle with commercial markings or tags.

Public Works Director Larry Wolcott said city staff checked with peer cities to see what they charged, but was limited by the fact Enid was the only other city that operates its own landfill (other peer cities use regional facilities). Based on analysis, Wolcott said his staff was recommending a $50 fee for residents who don’t follow the covered load rule.

Even that may prove to be a problem: Wolcott said the landfill staff already reports that some drivers leave the landfill without dumping their trash when they learn they will have to pay an additional fee for an uncovered load. It’s a situation that irritates several council members because they said it increases the likelihood of illegal dumping in the city. That’s why Wolcott said city staff wants to continue with plans for another solution: hiring an environmental compliance officer tasked with following up on such vehicles and illegal dumping of debris.

Wolcott isn’t certain when that compliance officer could be added. While the city staff will apply for an environmental compliance officer grant from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, those funds would not be available until 2024.

“We could use CIP money to do this this fiscal year,” he said, of a recommendation to tap the city’s Capital Improvements Program to cover a salary now.

Council members agreed with the plan, as well as plans to impose a stronger education program that would include placing signs on routes to the landfill.

Now, various charges are applied to vehicles that haul refuse to the city landfill. Those include a gate fee and fees based on what is being dumped and who is hauling it (although the first six loads in a calendar year are waived for Lawton residents and commercial vehicles for multifamily apartment complexes in Lawton who pay a fee for refuse collection).