Two local service clubs — Litchfield Lions and the Litchfield Rotary — donated “May baskets” of service to the Litchfield City Council on May Day.
The Lions Club offered to coordinate the city’s annual cleanup day, usually scheduled for the third Saturday in May, if the city continued to cover the balance between revenue received from residents wanting to recycle old appliances, scrap metal and electronics, and the cost of disposing of these and other large trash items.
In recent years, the city has brought in about $4,000-$5,600 during the citywide cleanup and spent about $12,000-$18,000 in disposal costs, an annual gap of $8,000 to $10,000 for city taxpayers to cover in hosting the event. Costs were higher in the early years, demonstrating that an annual cleanup day event has been successful in reducing refuse stored around town.
Although residents can dispose of larger items year-round at the Meeker County transfer station near Forest City, the annual cleanup day offers senior citizens and people with disabilities an opportunity to have discarded furniture and trash picked up curbside. City residents also take advantage of negotiated bulk appliance recycling fees.
Details about what items are accepted, fee schedule, dates and hours can be found on the city of Litchfield website or are available at City Hall prior to the event.
Lions Club representative John Fitzgerald told the council the Lions are recruiting volunteers and making necessary contracts with local refuse haulers and recyclers.
The city’s other “May basket” came courtesy of Rotarians. Litchfield Rotary spokesman Mark Nicholson told the council the club, which donated an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) smart monitoring cabinet to Veteran’s Park last year, has raised money toward two more of the life-saving devices, to be placed at the city softball fields and at South Park. AEDs produce controlled shocks which, together with CPR, can help save lives in the event of cardiac emergency.
The new devices would be placed, maintained and monitored by the same vendor that placed the first AED unit. The primary obligation of the City Council would be to cover the annual maintenance and monitoring fee of $600 per device, which covers inspections and occasional replacement of paddles and other parts.
Councilors unanimously agreed to partner with the Rotary and the Lions on these projects. City staff will work with the service clubs to facilitate these projects on city property.
