Five Flossmoor village board members are volunteering to help remove a big pile of residential trash this weekend.
At Monday’s board meeting Mayor Paul Braun asked for volunteers to help with the planned Saturday morning clean-up of the trash, located next to a house on Avers Avenue. Four village trustees ― James Wilder, James Mitros, Perry Hoag and Philip Minga ― agreed to help get rid of the garbage.
“It should only take about a half hour,” Braun said, adding that Homewood Disposal has agreed to donate a dumpster for the clean-up effort.
The pile of trash has prompted numerous complaints from nearby residents during the past month, Braun said. Flossmoor’s ordinance enforcement officer has repeatedly issued tickets at the house, and the homeowner is now facing about $1,200 in fines because of the trash.
“All we can do is issue citations,” Braun said. “That doesn’t get this cleaned up.”
Braun said the house is in foreclosure and that the homeowner has moved away. However, it appears that someone related to the family is living there, at least part of the time, he said.
The homeowner is not currently paying a disposal company to take away trash, Braun said.
“If they can’t pay for garbage disposal, I don’t think they will be able to pay $1,200 in tickets,” he said.
After agreeing to help remove the trash, Mitros had one question for Braun.
“Are we going to start cutting lawns, Mayor?” he asked, prompting laughter from the board and audience members.
Braun said that he expects the volunteer clean-up will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday.
