By Timothy Dashiell
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski resumed yard waste collection Wednesday and said residential Drop-Off Centers will reopen as the amount of garbage being collected from residents has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We know these services are important to our residents, and we feel confident that we can safely resume them with appropriate social distancing measures in place,” Olszewski said. “I’m grateful to our trash haulers for their service, and I’m grateful to our residents for their patience and cooperation as we continue to navigate this unprecedented crisis.”
Officials denied that the county executive was slowly beginning to reopen services, something that Gov. Hogan has vowed to do only after the state takes a series of steps to ramp up protection and reduce the number of infections and deaths from the deadly coronavirus.
“Residential drop-off centers were closed on April 2 out of abundance of caution to protect resident’s health and to help slow the spread of COVID-19,” Press Secretary Sean Naron told The Baltimore Watchdog. “The decision to re-open was made in consultation with public health leaders that this important public service could safely resume with appropriate social distancing measures in place.”
Starting Wednesday, yard waste materials were collected from Baltimore County residents with “Y” days on their schedule. These separate yard material collections will occur through as late as December, officials said.
While residents may set out an unlimited number of bags of yard materials, the collector may not collect all the bags on the same day. Residents were asked to leave their yard materials out until collection occurs.
Yard materials acceptable for collection include grass, leaves, vines, twigs, shrubbery trimmings, and branches and limbs.
Beginning Thursday, Baltimore County’s residential Drop-off Centers will reopen to the public. Residents will be required to adhere to all social distancing guidelines and required to wear masks onsite. These requirements will be strictly enforced, officials said.