In response to a recent influx of garbage dumping from boaters, the Village of Port Washington North has installed new signs to deter dumping and new trash receptacles.
“We’ve had an issue with boaters coming to our village, and instead of using our amenities, shopping and eating at our restaurants, they’re coming with bags of garbage,” Port Washington North mayor Bob Weitzner said at the Tuesday, Sept. 10 board of trustees meeting.
Weitzner said the village has seen empty microwave boxes, oil cans in a box, and garbage bags dumped on its pier and kayak launches. In its October newsletter, the village said excessive garbage dumping had caused trash cans to overflow.
“They consider us to be a dumping ground,” Weitzner said.
To help combat boaters dumping trash on village grounds, the village has placed six signs facing out to incoming boaters on the docks. The signs tell boaters pulling into the village’s docks not to bring bulk garbage to the park and direct them to the designated Town Dock dumpsters.
New trash receptacles have been placed where dumping has occurred to prevent further issues.
“How do we stop people from dumping the garbage in the garbage cans? And that is to create a garbage can that won’t allow the bags to go in,” Weitzner said. “There is a rather small opening, and there’s a foot pedal; you don’t even need to use your hands to open the garbage can. But you cannot fit a bag of garbage in this garbage can. So either they’re not going to do it anymore, they’re going to leave it next to the can. We don’t know.”
Weitzner said people stopped dumping garbage when the village had previously removed the trash cans.
“We have to provide garbage cans,” Weitzner said. “We get a lot of activity with this garbage can from the people using the pier and bringing garbage bags down the pier and dumping them in our garbage cans, and in some cases, going back on their boats. So we’re hoping that this works.”
The new trash cans have photos of Port Washington printed on them taken by local artists, Weitzner said.
“The Bay Walk is constantly evolving. We’re constantly trying to improve it,” Weitzner said.
