City vows to enforce alley rules

WESLACO — Though the publicity is recent, the issue of cluttered alleys is not.

The matter is now a top priority for city officials, particularly for interim City Manager Frank Castellanos, who assumed the position May 20.

When taking up his post, Castellanos was informed of the situation and took action by sending out city crews to perform a general sweep of the alleys.

"I understand that we have done these kinds of cleanup campaigns at least once a year to keep the citizens advised of the regulations," he said. "It is an ongoing effort. It is a continuous project to keep our alleys clean and clear of hazardous materials."

As part of a contract with Allied Waste, a national leader in waste and environmental services, the city cleans alleys twice a month.
Castellanos said items allowed to be tossed in these areas include tree limbs, grass and leaves, mattresses, major appliances, and furniture.

But Castellanos said other items are ending up in the alleys, including tires, construction materials, concrete, metal, and cardboard boxes, and that the trash is costly for the city to clean up.

"The items that are not collected are the responsibility of the individual to dispose of properly, but not by disposing of them in the alley," Castellanos said.

Castellanos said the city is doing what it can to help keep the public informed on how to keep their alleys tidy. According to city ordinance 80-4, citizens could face $200 per day per violation.

"These notices go out and we have been putting them out to the community...to let them know again what is acceptable and what is not acceptable to be put in the alleys," Castellanos said.

A recent news report brought the issue to the forefront, when an elderly man in Weslaco informed the city of hazardous materials in the alley behind his home on the 300 block of North Pino, adding he was not responsible for the mess.

The city replied that a clean alley is the homeowner's responsibility and if the garbage is in their alley, it is assumed it is their trash.

"The coverage is recent but the problem has been here for a long time and actually the policy has been in place for long time," Castellanos said. "This policy has been in place for years and it's a matter of just making sure that we continue to inform the public and make sure the people adhere to the policies and the city ordinances."

However, Castellanos urges homeowners to look out for their property and report any illegal dumping. If the unauthorized clutter goes unreported, the burden may fall on an unsuspecting citizen.

"We appreciate the cooperation and we understand that many times folks come in and do illegal dumping," Castellanos said. "It's your property and you've got to be vigilant that no one dumps stuff on your property."

Castellanos also advises citizens dealing with contractors to be certain that materials are being disposed of properly by the company, even if the job is minor. Cleanup details should be clearly listed in the contract, Castellanos said, otherwise waste may end up in an alley and the liability will fall in the hands of the homeowner.

City officials will continue to patrol and enforce the maintenance of alleys by citizens, Castellanos said.

"Nobody likes to see a trash on their own yard or trash on their neighbors' yard," Castellanos said. "That's why we have these ordinances so we can help our citizens help us to make sure we keep our city clean."