City of Ann Arbor makes special arrangements for student 'Move Out Week'
The city will provide dumpster service for students during "Move Out Week" from April 24-May 5.
In addition to normal Wednesday pickup, there will be trash and recycle pickup days around campus on Friday, April 27; Monday, April 30; and Friday, May 4, so expect to see bins around campus more often than usual.
For the loads that can’t quite fit in the bins, the city is providing students free Dumpster service at East University and Oakland avenues during “Move Out Week,” which is actually a 12-day period from Tuesday, April 24, through Saturday, May 5. During that span, students can drop off extra trash, old furniture and curbside recycling free of charge at the Dumpster from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
The city budgets between $32,000 and $37,000 for the program every year and expects to collect between 100 and 200 tons of refuse, said Tom McMurtrie, environmental systems analyst for the city of Ann Arbor, who is in charge of the program.
Staying within that budget is dependent on only students using the service.
“There have been instances where the site has gotten to be overflowing, too much for the site to handle, and illegal dumping on off-hours,” McMurtrie said.
Anyone caught using the Dumpster overnight would be subject to illegal dumping fines, which is $200 for a first offense, $400 for a second offense and $1,000 every offense thereafter.
The collection site won’t just be taking trash. There will be a drop-off for clothing, non-perishable food, toiletries, as well as furniture and electronic appliances in good condition. The Salvation Army, which will be collecting items for six of the 12 days at the site during move out week, typically collects enough items to fill four to six, 30-foot-long moving trucks.
Students hoping a local scavenger finds value in old furniture they leave by the side of the road run the risk of a $100 fine. McMurtrie said such fines are rare.
"The way the ordinance is written, they can’t be immediately fined and have 24 hours to respond,” McMurtrie said. “Most respond to the notifications. We certainly encourage them to use the services provided.”
Contact Pete Cunningham at petercunningham@annarbor.com or by phone at 734-623-2561. Follow him on Twitter @petcunningham.
Comments
Frustrated in A2
Tue, Apr 24, 2012 : 2:31 a.m.
Yeaaah the students are leaving Lol!
joe.blow
Mon, Apr 23, 2012 : 10:36 p.m.
@hasp. What's your news source?
hmsp
Mon, Apr 23, 2012 : 4:47 p.m.
@ joe.blow: Oh, I get it now — reading the article and then lying about it is called political satire. This probably explains the whole Faux News phenomenon, too.
hmsp
Mon, Apr 23, 2012 : 12:40 p.m.
@ joe.blow & A2Comments: Try reading the article, guys. I know it's more fun to just go into knee-jerk rants, though.
joe.blow
Mon, Apr 23, 2012 : 1:59 p.m.
I read the article, ever heard of political satire?
Bcar
Mon, Apr 23, 2012 : 11:10 a.m.
Aaahhh, my fav time of year, when the students go away! LOL! Maybe UM should pay for the dumpsters, NOT A2!
djm12652
Mon, Apr 23, 2012 : 3:55 p.m.
Almost my favorite time.....mine begins the day after the Large Upscale Flea Market called Art Fair and ends the day before move-in for fall semester...amazed at how clean downtown stays during that period!
joe.blow
Mon, Apr 23, 2012 : 1:31 a.m.
I love it, the most liberal campus in the country and they're expanding the garbage service, not creating green solutions! Everyone should care about the environment, except when it comes to me and my convenience. Liberals.
joe.blow
Mon, Apr 23, 2012 : 7:09 p.m.
bhall, do UofM a favor and don't tell people you're from UofM.
bhall
Mon, Apr 23, 2012 : 5:48 p.m.
@joe.blow, what on earth are you talking about? Let's review: Something, something, Liberals. Something, something. Obama. Whatever.
joe.blow
Mon, Apr 23, 2012 : 1:58 p.m.
Wow Ignatz, relax. Uofm has to be near the top of the liberal ladder. Maybe if we found a big recycle company donor to Obama, then we could make people go green.
Ignatz
Mon, Apr 23, 2012 : 12:59 p.m.
First of all, U-M's campus is not the most liberal even in this county. Second of all, this is private housing and not on campus. The U has a good recycling system, by the way. Third, you can't make people go green. Anyway, as is outlined in the article, there are opportunities to be green. Fourth, the city found out through experience that if they didn't expand the garbage service, the streets would be a mess.
A2comments
Mon, Apr 23, 2012 : 10:25 a.m.
Students won't recycle, they want things easy. At Move-in, recycle dumpster for cardboard had big sign to collapse boxes, most were still whole...
captain_k
Sun, Apr 22, 2012 : 11:33 p.m.
how is the city going to deal with dumpster diving/scavengers? should i be afraid to go treasure-hunting next week?
jcj
Sun, Apr 22, 2012 : 10:30 p.m.
I think I will get rid of my old couch. I suppose I deserve it as much as they do.
Tru2Blu76
Sun, Apr 22, 2012 : 6:30 p.m.
Student yard sales can be worth visiting during this period as well. Years ago, I bought an up-grade Mac computer for $55. I was just riding by that student yard sale on my bike and noticed the Mac among the other items. I had to tote that machine back home for half-a-mile on foot but I got-r-done. (nearly collapsed from dehydration though, it was in the upper 80s that day).