Oxford resident Liz Jones saw a problem, informed her local government about it and now a solution is in the works.
“I’m ecstatic,” she said.
Over the last month, someone has been illegally disposing of garbage in a dumpster located in the township cemetery on the south side of W. Burdick St.
According to Jones, this individual(s) has illegally dumped a couch, exercise machine, picnic table, large chuck of cement surrounding a post, old tires, kitchen garbage, a glass and metal showcase, Halloween decorations and bales of straw and corn stalks.
“It’s all private stuff from a home. Nothing that comes from a cemetery,” she said.
Jones was particularly upset because the dumpster is near her recently deceased husband Don’s grave (a naval veteran of the Korean War) and she considers its appearance a “disgrace.”
The dumpster is paid for by the township and is supposed to be used strictly for cemetery-related garbage (such as old grave blankets) and other debris (such as tree branches and litter), according to Supervisor Bill Dunn.
“It’s not supposed to be used as somebody’s personal trash can,” he said.
Dunn noted the illegal dumping is a “recent phenomena” and has “never been a problem before.”
To halt the illegal activity, Dunn is looking into having a fence with a locking gate installed around the dumpster.
He estimated the new security measure would “probably cost under $1,000.”
However, he said it would end up saving taxpayer money in the “long run.”
“Every time we have to call to have the dumpster emptied, it costs $300 or $400,” Dunn said. “The more stuff that gets dumped illegally, the more frequently we have to call, the more taxpayer money it costs.”
The supervisor said he will also ask Oakland County Sheriff’s deputies to increase their patrols in the cemetery.
“I’m very pleased,” said Jones of Dunn’s efforts. “He’s been nothing but kind.”