City Leaders Look To “Can” Trashy Problems

HOUSTON, Miss. (WCBI)- Littering is a growing problem all across the State and the city of Houston is deciding to do something about it.

Plastic cups, a Gatorade bottle, and plastic bags are just a few items lingering around the roadways in Houston.

“In ways it’s terrible around here though,” said Cameron Hoskins, life-long Houston resident. “It’s like pizza boxes and old dirty diapers, sometimes it’s ridiculous for real.”

Seeing trash piled up and scattered throughout his hometown is a constant and unfriendly sight for Hoskins.

“A lot of people just don’t care,” Hoskins said. “I mean, they just ride and instead of them riding with it in the vehicle, they’ll just chunk it out.”

Hoskins has even tried to help clean up some of the trash himself but said there’s only so much one man can do.

“I make sure my little surroundings is straight, you know where I stay at, but you can’t clean up the whole street,” he said. “Basically something needs to be done.”

However, something is being done.

City leaders are now strengthening its ordinance making littering a misdemeanor.

If caught, violators will now be fined.

For the first offense, violators will be fined anywhere from $50 to $250 dollars.

For a second offense, violators will be fined anywhere from $250 to $500 dollars.

Repeated violations could also result in jail time.

“The code re-enforcer, he sees stuff and he will come to us the first of every month and then we will give them two weeks to clean up,” said Ward 4 Alderwoman Willie McKinney.  “Then if they don’t clean it up in that time, if they need more time, then they will come back to the board.”

For those who can’t pay their fines, the ordinance currently allows violators to do community service to work off the fine.

The ordinance also allows the city to assess costs to clean up the mess to the violator.

Houston Mayor Stacey Parker said this is all in an effort to keep the Chickasaw County town clean and beautiful.

“Pick up your trash,” Mayor Parker expressed. “There’s a place for it, you’re paying for it, why not use it? You pay for it every month and if you’re sitting there throwing it in outside and wherever, I mean you’re actually costing the city money because we’re having to put more employees out there to pick up your trash. So my deal is just look at it, look at the way you would want to live, pick up around you, report it if you see someone doing it.”