Illegal dumping ‘becoming a problem’ in Town of Plover

By Brandi Makuski

Officials in the Town of Plover say they’re having trouble with illegal dumping at the town’s community dumpster.

Commercial dumpsters are available for residents in the town—which is a separate municipal entity from the Village of Plover—at the town’s municipal garage, 5081 Hoover Ave., according to Chairman Tim Karcheski. But with the arrival of warmer weather, he said, nonresidents have begun using them to dispose of furniture and other materials, which he said is a violation of the town’s ordinance and punishable with $1,000 fine.

“Lately, it’s been every week we’re having to empty it,” Karcheski said. “We’re finding there’s a lot of people coming from the Village of Plover, Stevens Point, Bancroft and Plainfield thinking those dumpsters are open to them.”

While the town doesn’t accept construction or remodeling materials like drywall, Karchski said the dumpster is a special service for town residents to drop bulky items and some scrap metal.

“It’s a way we can provide them a service to get rid of bulky items without any cost to them, outside of their taxes, and we usually get a little money out of the scrap metal,” he said. “But we’re a small town; we can’t afford to dispose of things for people who aren’t residents here.”

Karcheski said residents are asked to sign in and provide a photo ID when they dispose of items, but if someone arrives when staff isn’t present, he said, it operates largely on the honor system.

“And there are also eight cameras facing that area from different angles,” he said. “And a lot of times we can get their license plates. That’s when we turn to Facebook.”

Karcheski said when his office contacts motorists who dump illegally, they are sometimes—but not always—cooperative.

“A lot of people play dumb; they say, ‘Oh, isn’t this the same as the Village of Plover?’,” Karcheski said. “I explain that it’s not and that it says ‘Town of Plover’ right there on the building. We’re at the point now where we’ve given out enough warnings we’re going to start enforcing the law. They can’t dump their garbage in another municipality.”

Karcheski said he’s reached out to the Portage Co. Sheriff’s Office to request additional patrols in the area, and he’s taken to Facebook in an effort to identify individuals who dump illegally.

“I think the town would have fewer issues if the dumpsters were only open during regular hours,” said Sheriff Mike Lukas. “But obviously that’s not something the sheriff’s office controls.”

Lukas added his office can add extra patrol to the area upon request.

“It’s a service we’d like to keep in our township as long as we can,” Karcheski said. “But if this keeps up, we may have to do away with it.”

For more information on the town’s dumpster program, click here.