MONTICELLO  — Coordinated cleanup was in the cards Wednesday night as Village Manager James Snowden talked of an upcoming cleanup effort in May.

Dubbed the “amnesty program” by Snowden, it would not be like usual cleanup efforts of leaving specific garbage for pickup or recycle.

“Anybody who has debris, they can put it out to the street [curb]. The Village will come and clean it up,” stated Snowden. “We’re going to do a campaign. We’re trying to get this Village cleaned up the best we can.”

From May 5 to May 9, Village residents will have an opportunity to put all of their refuse on the streetside and the Village will take it for free. Snowden stressed that if residents fail to do this, then they will get cited for not cleaning up their property.

“It will be on you,” Snowden assured. “[Because] we gave you that chance. That’s what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Trustee Gordon Jenkins inquired about the case for tires and if they will be included in this cleanup. Snowden affirmed and discussed that they would not be included because the Village pays for them.

Trustee John Barbarite suggested that they could talk to the County about possibly getting a credit for the tires.

“The tires are a mess around here,” explained Barbarite. 

He assessed that people have to pay two to three dollars for a regular sized tire.”

Barbarite also floated the idea of at least taking two tires.

“If you say [include] tires we’re gonna have everybody putting 30 to 40 tires out on the curb [without a two tire limit],” Trustee Theodore Hutchins warned.

Barbarite’s concern with the tires was that if left in the yard, they’d fill with water and have mosquitoes and bugs surmounting to an “unhealthy situation.”

Hutchins stated that he would talk with Highway Superintendent Jay Sherb about the tires and where they can get to an understanding on including tires in this cleanup.

Village Mayor Rochelle Massey piggybacked on the discussion stating of her ongoing mission to clean up the Village of Monticello.

“I want everyone to comply [with this],” said Massey. “I say every week and I’ve been saying since I’ve been here [as Village Mayor] about the garbage and the fines. So please, please, please pay close attention to your garbage. I’m on a mission so I’ll be out there.”