Baltimore City Public Works Calendar

I don't usually peruse the "Baltimore City Public Works Calendar" but neighbors and I have become very interested lately in the proper maintenance of private, business and institutional properties in our community as their conditions are abysmal. 

If you have a copy of this document, please refer to "Curbside Collection" where you will note that the City outlines in a clear format guidelines as to what constitutes "Recycling" and "Waste".  On this page, they suggest that recycling should be placed in the yellow cans which are easily available at most hardware stores as I purchased one from Ace on 33rd Street, without any difficulty, but they advise you as well that, "1.  Use any container you want except PLASTIC BAGS.  Use paper bags, cardboard, old laundry baskets or trashcans.  Just mark it:  RECYCLING.  2.  Start simple - paper, cans and bottles! and lastly 3.  Put out all the recycling you want - NO LIMIT!  NO LIMIT!"  I would like to add a caveat here and that is if you use a paper bag, try to make sure that it is properly closed at the top to keep your product within from flying around the community. 

Now if you would kindly turn to the month of MARCH 2013, you will note a drawing of a family of rats (just the same that we have here in our community) feasting on improperly disposed trash.  However, aside from the unique drawing, there are guidelines to follow which are easy to follow, which are:

Rats are a serious health threat and can cause property damage.

"Know the signs of rat infestation

1.  Look for burrows (holes) near sidewalk edges (very predominant on the Safeway parking lot and entrance to the store) under bushes, along your home's foundation and in your basement.
2.  Look for gnawing marks (chewing) around doors, windows, plumbing and electrical outlets.
3.  Look for their pathways usually along walls and in hidden areas -- telltale signs are greasy track marks and dark colored droppings.

Know how to keep rats away from your home:

1.  Always use a durable trash can with a tight-fitting lid.  It's the law and keeps rats away from food sources.  Don't invite rats, to your home for dinner by storing your trash in plastic bags!
2.  Don't leave pet food sitting out and always clean up your pet's waste -- both are food for rats.
3.  Remove old furniture, vehicles and appliances from your property -- they give rats a place to hide and nest.
4.  Keep grass and weeks cut -- tall grass and weeds are a hiding place for rats.
5.  Seal cracks and holes around your foundation, doors and windows - a half-inch hole is big enough to allow a rate into your home.

Call 311 to request Rat Control Services."

The guide also states "Please Keep Alleys Clean" which is important in that if the alleys are not clean the rats will come on and into your property."

From the above you can see that the demands of the City are reasonable, responsible and represents what any one with a lick of sense would do in combating the issue governing the property disposal of trash to not only make the areas around our homes, businesses and institutions look clean by safe from an exploding rat population.  We neighbors have provided photographic evidence of a continuance of problems within this area of ours and despite repeated proof that these disgusting conditions continue, nothing serious is getting done to eliminate the problem.  People don't seem to care and those of us who do are deemed to be crazies engaged in a futile attempt. 

One last note on the seriousness of these conditions which is from the calendar, which states:  "In 2011, the Bureau of Solid Waste cleaned 18,623 dirty alleys as a result from citizen service requests to 311 and proactively cleaned 3,090 of them."

On average, the City spends $10 million to clean streets and alleys.  Instead of having to clean all of these alleys residents, businesses and institutions should want to clean them as prudent residents of this city and then possibly the $10 million could be used for feeding the 1,700 children who are homeless in this city.  There are also laws on the books that require the proper disposal of garbage which need to be followed.

Think about it and the next time you put out your trash or recycling follow the simple rules that the City has so that funds can be spent more wisely.  Don't forget, piles of garbage indicate a neighborhood in decline because no one cares.