By Carl Fauver | [email protected]

For the second year in a row, the Taylorsville City Green Committee’s annual Cleanup Day will look completely different on Saturday, June 18 than it ever did, pre-coronavirus. In years past, this four-hour collecting of recyclables and “junk” has been operated by 15 to 20 volunteers. This year – thanks to a civic-minded Taylorsville High School coach and his players – more than 100 volunteers will lend a hand.

“We were having a summer football practice last year when we noticed the long lines of cars and trucks (pulling into the Taylorsville High School parking lot during Cleanup Day),” THS head football coach Chris “Rozy” Rosales said. “We decided right on the spot, we would go help them right after we were done. But by the time our practice was over, so was Cleanup Day.”

Coach Rozy said City Councilman and Green Committee member Ernest Burgess emailed him a couple of months ago, asking if he wanted to have his Warrior football team members assist this time around.

“I think Councilman Burgess was shocked, and even got a little emotional, when I told him we would have 70 players and 20 coaches on hand to help out,” Rosales said. “We are trying to teach our kids the importance of assisting in their community. I think this will also help build our team unity. I want my players to understand, there does not have to be a price tag to helping out.”

“Last year was our first time to do Cleanup Day at Taylorsville High and we had about 480 cars, trucks and trailers come through – double what we had ever had before (when the event had always been held outside city hall),” Councilman Burgess said. “Our volunteers were worn out. Many of them never got a break. So, involving the football players and coaches should really make things run better. Coach Rosales is such a neat guy and so full of enthusiasm. The team’s help will be great.”

Several members of the Taylorsville Youth Council are also expected to assist during the 8 a.m. to noon window on June 18 while Cleanup Day is operating in the northwest parking lot at the high school. Organizers say people dropping off materials should only enter the parking lot from Redwood Road and not from 5400 South.

Green Committee member Kathy Richins has worked in the Taylorsville City Code Enforcement Department for about six years. Hers is the often-unpopular office that keeps an eye on yards to make sure they don’t become too unsightly.

“Code enforcement has a vested interest in the success of Cleanup Day, because a lot of our residents take advantage of it to bring their yards into compliance,” Richins said. “As Cleanup Day approaches, when we see yards that need some work, we drop off fliers about the event, so people can make arrangements to get the stuff they don’t need over to it.”

After years of hosting Cleanup Day outside Taylorsville City Hall, the event had to be completely cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19. When it returned last summer, continuing construction and landscaping work on Centennial Plaza forced Cleanup Day to be moved to the high school. The combination of shifting to a larger parking area and moving from April to June doubled the amount of materials gathered.

Last year marked the first time the Green Committee carefully tallied everything that was dropped off. In 2021, residents took to the Taylorsville High School parking lot:

• 14,000 lbs. of garbage
• 12,300 lbs. of electronic waste (TVs and computers)
• 8,680 lbs. of paper (shredded at no cost)
• 8,000 lbs. of reusable clothing
• 5,000 lbs. of green waste (branches and lawn clippings)
• 3,000 lbs. of glass
• 1,900 gallons of latex paint
• 500 lbs. of solid pesticides and herbicides
• 182 lbs. of unused medications
• Many other items.

“We have lots of residents who really look forward to Cleanup Day to help them clear their yards,” Mayor Kristie Overson said. “We love it when people make their homes and yards look better. We know people like this event because last year we had such long lines. It is exciting the football team will help out this year. We’re very grateful to them.”

As you gather materials to drop off on June 18, the Green Committee wants to remind everyone NOT to bring:

• Ammunition
• Commercial disposal 
• Freon in appliances
• Large appliances
• Mattresses
• Medical waste
• Tires

For more information on the 2022 annual Taylorsville Green Committee Cleanup Day, visit taylorsvilleut.gov.