By Lee Weyhrich
PINSON — “Build it, and they will come” is the famous line from the movie “Field of Dreams.”
Something similar is happening in Pinson.
You could say, “Offer it, and they will be annexed.”
Pinson’s new garbage collection service began this week, and at last week’s Pinson City Council meeting, 19 parcels of land were annexed into the city limits.
“A lot of these are because of the new garbage service in the city,” Councilman John Churchwell said.
Advanced Disposal trash cans have been delivered to Pinson residents.
“Everyone seems to be extraordinarily excited to have improved service at a lessened cost, and that was the driving force behind (it),” Councilman Joe Cochran said. “I don’t remember any time we’ve had this many annexations at once, where all of a sudden ‘there they are.’ So people want to participate. They understand that being part of the city brings you opportunities.”
Mayor Hoyt Sanders also suspects several more will come into the city. The interest has been so great that the council had the annexation form added to www.thecityofpins.com under the “Forms” tab. Sanders said the easiest way to determine the legal description of property for use on the form is for a person to take it off of his or her property tax form.
There have been a few problems with the new service. Some people last week had not yet received cans, while others weren’t sure how the cans should be used. Councilman Robbie Roberts said he’s noticed some people putting regular garbage in the recycle bins, while others have put yard debris in those containers.
The container with the yellow lid is for recyclable materials only. Glass items are not to be put in the recycle container, and yard debris should be placed in the yard near the curb, where it will be picked up.
Not all the new annexations could be attributed to the new trash service. The city council also authorized the purchase of three parcels of land through tax deeds. The cost to the city was $100 per parcel. These properties were annexed in after being accepted.