Fargo area curbside Cleanup Week likely to return

WEST FARGO — No decisions have been made on whether curbside spring Cleanup Weeks will return in metro cities, but West Fargo Sanitation Manager Logan Jacobson said it's likely to return to the city in May.

"I'm sure there will be one, but we haven't made a decision or determined any details," he said.

Fargo Recycling Coordinator Jen Pickett said Fargo hasn't made a final decision yet, either.

In Moorhead, new Public Works Director Steve Iverson said nothing was set in stone, but all indications are that "we're going to make a run at it." He said one of his first priorities will be working on the cleanup plans.

Fargo and West Fargo delayed last year's spring curbside cleanup until September because of the coronavirus pandemic, while Moorhead called its off altogether.

The annual curbside pick-up of residents' unwanted items is a community ritual for those looking to cut down on clutter and other hunting for treasure in their neighbors' discarded goods.

In 2019, West Fargo residents tossed 850 tons of junk onto their curbs. Even with the delay to fall for the 2020 Cleanup Week , city workers collected 564 tons of trash, Sanitation Manager Logan Jacobson said.

In Fargo, residents rid themselves of 1,201 tons of trash in 2020, a significant decline from 1,948 tons discarded in 2019, according to recycling coordinator Jen Pickett.

If residents have spring fever and have already started cleaning their homes and garages and want to toss the unwanted trash, Fargo and West Fargo have free, year-round transfer stations for junk if people have a way to transport it.

Moorhead also has a transfer station at 2727 Highway 10 East, but there are fees. The Moorhead facility will be replaced by a new county-owned, $14.5 million state-of-the-art transfer station after state bonding money was awarded last fall. Work will start on the new facility in the far northeast part of the city at 34th Street and 15th Avenue North this spring.

Fargo's transfer station opened in January at the landfill's main offices at 4501 Seventh Ave. N., while West Fargo's has been open for several years at 1620 Main Ave. W. across from the Red River Valley Fairgrounds.

Pickett said items residents usually throw away during spring cleanup can be dropped off at the new enclosed Fargo station.

Almost any type of items are accepted, except hazardous materials such as paint, televisions and computers that can be dropped off at the nearby Fargo City Household Hazardous Waste Facility just to the east on Seventh Avenue.

Pickett said scrap metal is one of the major items they would like to see, as the metal will last forever in the landfill, taking up space. The metal is recycled.

Other items accepted at the Fargo and West Fargo transfer stations are car batteries and tires, furniture, non-Freon household appliances, cardboard, mattresses, carpet, snow blowers, lawnmowers, compost and household trash. Building materials aren't allowed, however.

Residents are becoming aware of the new station as Pickett said about 700 residents used the facility in its first two months.

It's open six days a week: 7:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.

Pickett hopes the transfer station will reduce the spring cleanup load, which can be costly as the city has to pay for additional private trucks, hire additional workers and pay for overtime and fuel.

Last year, Jacobson said, 13,000 West Fargo residents used the drop-off site during the pandemic, which was double the year before. During the first two months of this year, 1,100 residents have already used it. The West Fargo transfer station is open 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.

He said it helped reduce the Cleanup Week load, which allows city workers to spend more time on street and utility projects.

Moorhead is also working on a special citywide cleanup effort. This year, it's set during Earth Week, April 18-24, and residents are asked to volunteer to help with 100 different areas of the city that they can adopt. The theme this year is "Restore Our Earth."

The goal is to clean every park, street, trail and pond. For more information and to register, visit cityofmoorhead.com/departments/parks-recreation/volunteering .

1/2: Lawn trimmings and old toys are among the items collected during the annual cleanup week. Forum file photo

2/2: An example of how items should be placed on the curb during Cleanup Week. Special to the Forum