Buff up the Bluff set for fall, but curbside bulk trash pick up available now

City manager Matt Winters shared Monday that the next Buff up the Bluff will be held in the fall.
Normally a spring clean up opportunity, the 2020 event was held late in the year due to COVID-19 precautions.
I reached out later to ask if this is an event we could see moving back to the spring in 2022, but Winters said it’s too soon to know what will be next for it.
He also has said the city’s bulk trash pick-up program is a great way to get rid of some big items in the meantime.
Both are projects we’re fortunate to have. I have friends and family members in other cities who have shared they would love to have something similar but don’t.
Buff up the Bluff is a perfect opportunity to clean out basements, attics and sheds and get rid of clutter at no cost.
I’ve used it myself to get rid of furniture that’s outlived its usefulness, like broken-beyond-repair kitchen chairs.
I always see loaded-down pickup trucks, and residents relieved to be rid of those items, when I go to the drop-off site.
The bulk trash pick-up program takes things a step further. It allows residents to leave items by the curb to be picked up by the street department.
There is a small fee attached, $20 for a total of four items. But it’s a small price to pay to be rid of a refrigerator that no longer works, those difficult to move old mattresses (if they’d just put handles on the sides!), or that couch that pets and children have loved to death.
It’s much more convenient than trying to find a place to store the items or another place to haul them off to. And it’s better than leaving these items outside and getting glares from the neighbors, or a visit from code enforcement.
If you’re interested, and it really is an easy process, stop by the city collector’s office at city hall, 501 Vine St.
Pick-up days are on the second Tuesday of every month. You’ll need to pick your tags up by the week before pick up. You’ll also be asked to provide a list of the items to be picked up.
You can put the items out by the curb up to 48 hours before pick up.
The program is open only to residential customers.
The street department will also take tires for a $3 fee, limit of four.
No construction materials, small items such as trash bags, or regular household trash can be picked up.
If you’ve got the spring cleaning bug, this is something that will come in handy. (And to my friends at the street department, I hope you’ll forgive me when I finally get the massive, out-of-date entertainment stand out of my storage room. It’s heavy. But I’ll be really grateful to see it gone one of these days.)
Donna Farley is editor of the Daily American Republic. She can be reached at dfarley.dar@gmail.com.