Kansas City to begin new trash program, surveillance
Thursday, the Kansas City (Mo.) Council approved a program that will provide curbside recycling and will limit the amount of trash the city will pick up for “free” from each household. Those households that produce more than 120 bags of trash a year face extra fees of $1 per bag, but there is no fee and no limit on recyclables. The program, named RecycleFirst, will begin in September. According to The Kansas City Star, the city hopes the program will cut disposal costs by one-fourth, producing enough revenue to pay for recycling, education and enforcement on illegal dumping.
In an effort to reduce illegal dumping in Kansas City parks, the Parks and Recreation Department is installing surveillance cameras at various parks with illegal dumping problems. According to the newspaper, the cameras are motion-sensitive and take 35mm color snapshots. They make a flash at night and can be supplemented with a recorded message to warn people that they could be photographed. For more information, visit http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/5499122.htm and http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/5498001.htm