From left is board member Tim Croy, Clerk-Treasurer Barb Ross, President Jill Gross, board member Shelly Krueger and newly-named Town Attorney Andrew Grossnickle.

MENTONE — The Mentone Town Board is close to a decision to end its annual spring clean-up, depending how the event goes this year when it’s held May 15.

The town allows residents, with certain restrictions, to do their spring cleaning during the annual event and the town’s trash collector, Valley Sanitation, facilitates the extra influx of refuse.

However, the board has been discussing for some time the tendency of some residents to abuse the program, whether it be by placing unauthorized items to the curb or by allowing non-residents to bring in their throw-aways and use residential curbsides as a dumping ground. The board members also mentioned the tendency for messes to be made by “scrappers,” who pilfer through the garbage in search of items that can be sold for scratch.

“I think we need to warn people this will be the last year we do it if they abuse it,” said Board President Jill Gross. “Usually those homeowners know if they have relatives bringing stuff in and dumping it.”

Board member Tim Croy told the board that the trash hauler changed its mind in regard to how spring trash would be picked up this year.

In last month’s meeting, the board agreed that Valley Sanitation could place all its dumpsters in a central location, near the fire station. It was thought this would high visibility area would discourage unauthorized dumping.

“Instead of being by the station, he’s going to go back to picking up by the house,” Croy said. “He’s got 20 roll-off dumpsters and he said he wouldn’t have enough room to put that many out there for people to drive around, so he said he would just go back to picking it up at the house.”

Croy also said residents should know that if they have televisions to throw away, the Kosciusko County Recycling Depot is now taking those items free of charge.

“We’ve had people ask about TVs, but they can take them up there for free,” Croy said.

In other business, the board welcomed new town attorney Andrew Grossnickle. Grossnickle is an attorney with Beers, Mallers, Backs & Salin, LLP who also represents Turkey Creek Township and Advisory Board, Turkey Creek Fire Protection Territory, Warsaw-Wayne Fire Protection Territory, Turkey Creek Regional Sewer District and Blue Lake Conservancy District.

The board also agreed to hold its September meeting on Sept. 11 to coincide with the board’s budget meeting.