CENTERBURG — Centerburg residents like to recycle. The problem is, they no longer have recycling bins.
Centerburg High School previously hosted 10 bins fully paid for by the Delaware-Knox-Marion-Morrow Solid Waste District.
However, school officials requested that DKMM remove the bins due to a paving project and declined to have them returned when the paving is completed.
The solid waste district provided a stipend to the school for students to monitor the bins for loose trash. DKMM also donated composting supplies to the school’s ag program.
“I would like to say it honestly went very well,” Matthew Baugher, program manager for Knox County Recycling, told Centerburg village council members on Monday.
“We’re very thankful for it. Even though it was easily seen by the road, which sometimes can lead to contamination, it did very well.”
Centerburg consistently filled the 10 bins twice a week. Rumpke took the material directly to its new facility on Joyce Avenue on Columbus’ east side.
Centerburg is DKMM’s third-largest recycling site in the county. It ties for the sixth largest among DKMM’s 35 locations in its four-county area.
Baugher’s goal is to “help Centerburg residents get a new option for recycling.”
He said that while township houses are a common location, Hilliar Township trustees said there is no room for the containers.
Baugher said the village could fill 12 or 13 bins with its volume.
Exploring recycling locations
Centerburg residents have been without recycling bins for two weeks, and they are calling the DKMM office.
Residents are using Liberty and Miller township bins, as well as Porter and Trenton townships in Delaware County, as an alternative.
“They are overflowing. It’s bad,” Baugher said.
“I got a call from Delaware County. She’s like, ‘Hey, can you make your residents not drive over and use ours? Can you not pass your problem off?’”
Matthew Baugher, program manager recycling and litter prevention
“So I would urge us to start moving forward as quickly as possible because people are going to continue to recycle. We don’t really have the means to tell them not to use other bins because that is their right, but there is no way around it.”
Baugher said residents suggested Memorial Park as a new location. However, there is no room for 10 bins to be placed next to each other.
The Church of Christ and Wyandotte Golf Course are other suggestions.
“If we cannot find public space for all 10 bins, even if we can get five here or five there,” Baugher said. “We strongly prefer to work with a public entity for obvious reasons as we’re public ourselves, but if we are out of options, we are interested in product.”
Curbside recycling is a viable option
DKMM Director Jenna Hicks agreed the solid waste district is “definitely kind of desperate for something to happen.”
Neighboring townships cannot accommodate more material, the school does not want them, Hilliar Township cannot accommodate the bins, and private options are not optimal.
“My perspective on the private locations is they don’t see a benefit in providing a service to residents. They always want something in return, so it hasn’t been a good fit in the past,” Hicks said.
“If we don’t do anything, residents really can’t recycle.”
However, she said what works well is a curbside recycling program.
“There are a ton of benefits to the community and to residents individually if this were something the village chooses to do,” she said.
The Village of Ashley charges $19.99 a month for trash and recycling and bills residents through their water bill.
Galena charges $23.50, and Rumpke bills residents directly.
Baugher said DKMM has funds available to help with amenities such as paving, concrete pads, or fencing to make it easier to host recycling bins.
Additionally, as with the high school, DKMM has a sponsorship program that pays Scouts, churches, and other community groups to monitor the site.
Centerburg recently passed a resolution adopting DKMM’s five-year solid waste plan. The plan included a higher fee for disposing of waste.
Hicks said DKMM uses those fees to pay for site improvements.
Legislative action
Council members took the following legislative actions during Monday’s meeting:
•Suspended the three readings and approved placing a 3-mill, five-year renewal levy on the November ballot. The levy is expected to generate $34,500.
•Set a public hearing for July 7 for public comment on a new zoning map. The new map includes the recent Community Memorial Park and AMVETS annexations, as well as updates to a few previously unmarked parcels.
•Waived the three readings and adopted an ordinance to submit a proposed 2026 budget of slightly over $6.9 million to the county auditor; $3.87 million is in the general fund.
•Suspended the three readings and adopted legislation creating a separate fund to hold the roughly $17,000 transferred from Hilliar Township’s playground fund
Reports
Village administrator. Crews continue patching potholes, cleaning debris, mowing, and weeding.
Greenwich Electric will begin direct boring tomorrow for the new street lights on Main Street. Work will then stop while the village waits for the poles and equipment to arrive.
COJFD. Fire Chief Mark McCann reported the department improved in five categories on Knox Community Hospital’s annual wellness course. Personnel scored 75 out of 80 points, increasing from last year’s score of 65.
Hydrant flushing will run from June 8 to June 14, the chief’s car is in for repairs, and the new fire truck should arrive mid-June.
The department participated in Serve the Burg and Milford Township Days and collected more than $2,000 from its flower sale benefiting Honor Flight.
Miscellaneous
The recent Serve the Burg event attracted 64 volunteers, ranging from the Trojans football team to fire personnel, school officials, and other community groups.
Collectively, the group completed jobs for 15 families and delivered 33 meals.
Councilman Greg Myers said local citizens are raising money to buy a new gravestone for Centerburg founders Stephen Sutton and Jacob Houck. Anyone wishing to contribute can contact Bob Newton, Jim Casner, or the Lions Club.
Myers also encouraged anyone interested in helping document Revolutionary War gravesites to visit ohiohistory.org/revwargraves for more information and access a submission portal.
Councilman Daniel Hardwick said the USA Days committee has not obtained insurance for the parade or festival. The village cannot approve permits until insurance is in place.
Councilwoman Saundra Dove said the Revitalization Committee continues to discuss plans for the former In Town Restaurant green space on East Main Street.
Chris Duda is interested in refreshing the mural across from the town hall, and the farmers market starts on Thursday. Long Branch Pizza is donating part of its proceeds on Tuesday to the Lions Club.
