SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. — Piles of trash, debris and bulky items like discarded furniture are common sights in Northaven, a small Shelby County community outside of Memphis, near Frayser.
Like everyone who lives out in the county, people in that neighborhood have to get rid of their own trash or pay a private service to do it. But some residents do neither, and the mess has gotten worse.
“It has been a eyesore for years,” Pastor Hosea Houston said.
Houston is a member of the Northaven Neighborhood Association.
It’s a problem the county tried to solve by fining non-compliant homeowners, but it didn’t work. That’s why officials are proposing a county-run trash service just for Northaven; a contractor residents would be required to use. People we talked with were all for it.
“We need a long-term fix for this problem, and I think we have it now,” Houston said.
Under the current plan, residents would pay $27 per month for weekly collection, and bulky items would be picked up on special request.
“Yeah, that sounds pretty good,” Lorretia Berry said.
Berry said she likes the idea and the price. She currently pays $50 per month for her service and said some of her neighbors pay a lot more. County officials said the average homeowner in Northaven pays between $69 and $90 per month.
Officials also said state law allows them to create this special service for Northaven and force people to use it.
County Commissioner Amber Mills represents the area and said she supports the plan if residents do.
“I mean, who wants to come home to other peoples’ garbage out when they pull in their driveway,” Mills said.
County commissioners would ultimately have to approve this proposal, but they want input from residents first. They’re holding a community meeting about it at Pleasant Chapel Missionary Baptist Church at 4813 Benjestown Road on Nov. 5 at 6 p.m.
Northaven residents can also CLICK HERE for a link to a county survey.
