The city of Cortez will hold Cleanup Week from Monday, Oct. 20, through Thursday, Oct. 23 – offering curbside pickup for residents within city limits. The residential bulk trash program, which runs twice a year, allows residents to dispose of items too large for regular trash containers.
Residents must place items at the curb – not in alleys – by 6 a.m. Monday. Items may not be placed earlier than the Saturday before collection begins. Organize piles by material type. Stack and bundle items neatly. Loose debris will not be collected. Bag or box items in disposable containers. Nondisposable containers will be discarded. Piles must not exceed 10 feet long, 5 feet wide and 5 feet high.
Acceptable items include mattresses and upholstered furniture – which will incur fees billed on the next water statement, based on landfill rates. Other items that can be collected include microwaves, dishwashers, washers, dryers, stoves, water heaters, toilets, and boxed, sealed and labeled glass. Yard waste must be bagged, with grass, leaves and weeds tied in bags. Branches – including rose and cedar bushes – must be cut to lengths of 4 feet or less, bundled, and weigh no more than 50 pounds. Cacti, roses and thorny bushes must be boxed, labeled or placed in a container.
Items that will not be accepted include tires, electronics (e-waste), contractor waste, appliances with Freon (such as refrigerators and air conditioners), batteries, chemicals, asbestos, freezers, barrels with liquid, hazardous waste, oil, paint, unbagged yard waste, household garbage, flat-screen TVs, propane tanks, cleaning products and demolition debris such as rock, dirt, sod or concrete.
Residents can contact Big-O, 4-States or Walmart for tire disposal, and the Montezuma County Landfill at (970) 565-9858 for e-waste disposal fees.
Piles must be placed at least 5 feet from obstacles such as trash containers, vehicles or other objects to ensure accessibility for collection trucks. Polycarts should be positioned at least 3 feet from cleanup items and organized by item and material. Crews will not backtrack for missed piles, and collection will occur on regular trash days during the week.
Elderly or disabled residents needing help moving items to the curb should call the City Service Center at (970) 565-7320 the week before Cleanup Week to be added to the assistance list. For large projects or remodeling, residents can inquire about cleanup dumpster rates or request a second Polycart at half price by calling (970) 564-4012. Collection schedules are available online or by calling (970) 565-7320.
All collected items will be taken to the landfill or recycled. Do not include household trash in bulk piles. Bag and place it in regular curbside containers.
