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The rusty battered recycling and trash receptacles in the greater Crescent City area may soon be replaced with containers that can better withstand the coastal environment.

The Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority reacted favorably Tuesday to switching out the 8-year-old metal blue and brown receptacles with the newer containers. According to Kyra Seymour, clerk of the joint powers authority, the new concrete bins can last up to three decades, and since they weigh about a ton they're not easily knocked over by the wind.

Seymour presented the design to the Del Norte County Planning Department, which liked it, but deferred its approval to the city. Seymour said in conversations with city staff, they agreed that new container were needed.

“One of the problems with the design of our current receptacles is they’re lightweight,” she said. “They have this filigree that in a coastal environment is not as rust resistant as it could be. After going through many designs, many ideas, this is where we ended up as being the option that would check off most of the boxes for the city, for Recology, for everyone.”

Seymour said Anderson-based Outdoor Creations Inc., which manufactures the bins, has accounts in Brookings and Humboldt County.

Crescent City Manager Eric Wier recommended Outdoor Creations Inc., Seymour said.

The current metal containers exist in pairs of 60 throughout the greater Crescent City area, with 45 pairs located within city limits, said authority director Tedd Ward. Though the city selected the design of the new containers, their approval will be tied to the Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority’s decision regarding an extension of the collections franchise agreement with Recology Del Norte, he said.

Replacing the receptacles will cost more than $200,000, Recology Del Norte general manager Jeremy Herber said. The current bins are “rotting out faster than we can maintain” them, he told the Solid Waste board.

“My goal was to focus on, one, creating something that would last; two, have something that looks continually beautiful,” Herber said. “We do get a lot of graffiti and stickers, but they have a special coating that makes it hard for graffiti to stick. think there’s more positives than negatives and maintenance on these cans now is off the charts. It’s a daily thing and we still can’t keep up with them.”

Herber said Recology Del Norte is willing to pick up the tab for the new recycling and garbage containers, but he requested the potential extension of the company’s collections franchise agreement with the authority to be placed on a future agenda.

“I do ask that we can open the door with communications with Recology and the authority to start communicating one, how we’re going to pay for these and how to recover that cost,” he said.

Though she liked the design, the Solid Waste Management Board's chair, District 2 Supervisor Lori Cowan, said she was worried about seagulls and other birds getting into the new receptacles and making a mess. She wondered how Recology would control that.

“I don’t know in other areas if that’s as much of an issue,” she said, “I just know I clean up a lot of trash in front of my house.”

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Meanwhile, the Solid Waste Management Authority narrowed its search for a home for a northern transfer station to four properties in the Smith River area. With help from Arcata-based consultant Stillwater Sciences, the properties include parcels owned by Green Diamond and another owned by First Baptist Community Church at the end of Timbers Road near Dollar General, according to Ward.

Green Diamond is willing to sell or split its 37-acre property, which is significant, because it’s larger than what a transfer station requires, Ward said. The First Baptist Church property is also larger than the Solid Waste Authority needs.

“They would also be interested in splitting that, but it would possibly be more complicated working with the Baptist church,” he said.

Though they were interested in finding out more about the sites that were selected, the Solid Waste Management Authority rejected a 3.8 acre parcel along Ocean View Drive about 1.5 miles north of Smith River. According to Ward, the property is bordered by Ritmer Creek and may already be serviced by utilities, including a septic system.

However there several buildings on the property, including a four-unit home, that have fallen into disrepair, according to the authority’s staff report. It’s also not clear if the owner is willing to sell the property, according to the report.

Crescent City Mayor Blake Inscore, who sits on the Solid Waste Management Authority, said he likely wouldn’t consider that property because of the potential mitigation those buildings would necessitate including dealign with possible water quality issues.

Cowan said the possibility of a septic system could be a positive.

“I personally say look at all four,” she said. “I think it comes down to price.”

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Reach Jessica Cejnar at jessica@wildriversoutpost.com.

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