Contact:
Shawn Perry-Turner, Director of Marketing and Communications
Office: 505-867-7640; Cell: 505-382-2753
For Immediate Release
Date: February 20, 2024
Preserve Sandoval is a partnership between the public and the county to clean up illegal dumping areas on county Right of Ways
Bernalillo, NM, February 20, 2024—Today Sandoval County announced the launch of an expanded Preserve Sandoval program. The pilot program operated successfully in 2022, addressing illegal dumping sites on Right of Ways (ROW) in District 4. It was an activity sponsored by Commission Chair David J. Heil. This expanded program, now in effect, covers all of Sandoval County. The formula is simple: The public identifies illegal dumping on public Right of Ways and then individuals or non-profit organizations can register with the county as vendors to haul away the trash for a set fee. The county funds the program through revenues generated by landfill fees. No taxpayer dollars are used in this endeavor.
In making the announcement, Wayne Johnson, County Manager, said, “These illegal dumping sites pose a safety issue to our residents and they diminish the beauty of our landscape and neighborhoods. Preserve Sandoval demonstrates the commitment between the public and the county for a safer, more aesthetically pleasing environment by working together to remediate this blight. It also provides a revenue source to individual and non-profit contractors. It’s a win-win endeavor.”
HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS
Daniel J. Beaman, Director of Planning and Zoning, further explained the program. “We want to clean up the illegal dumping in our public Right of Ways. These are roads, road shoulders, pathways, ditches, and other strips of land in neighborhoods and open space that run adjacent to private property lines and utility easements. Because they are adjacent to private properties, public Right of Ways are vulnerable to illegal dumping. Preserve Sandoval seeks to address existing sites and going forward, deter illegal dumping in our ROWs.” According to Beaman, Preserve Sandoval is a three-pronged effort managed on the county’s website (www.sandovalcountynm.gov/preservesandoval).
Here are the three components of the program that operate concurrently:
- IDENTIFYING LOCATIONS
Residents identify locations fitting the program’s criteria and enter them on the Preserve Sandoval portal. Next, Code Enforcement Officers verify these locations’ eligibility. If qualified, then these locations are posted on the web and are ready to be assigned to a clean-up vendor.
- REGISTERING TO PERFORM DUMP SITE CLEAN-UP
Individuals and non-profit organizations can register online to become county vendors so that they can perform the clean-up. Following receipt of the application, the county will notify registrants if they are approved as vendors.
- THE CLEAN-UP: TRASH INTO GOLD
Approved vendors will be able to identify sites that they would like to clean up, and whenever possible, these sites will be assigned to them. They then take the collected trash to the Sandoval County Landfill and are paid $100.00 for every cubic yard of hauled trash. Note: Preserve Sandoval vendors can work on up to five sites at a time. Beaman also emphasized that if Preserve Sandoval vendors notice other illegal dump sites in an area where they are working, they should directly notify Planning and Zoning. A Code Enforcement Officer will then inspect the sites, take photos and if qualified, add them to the list.
Beaman stressed that locations are added constantly to the website. Individuals and non-profits are encouraged to apply to qualify as Preserve Sandoval vendors and to frequently check the website for available locations. For more information, visit www.sandovalcountynm.gov/preservesandoval.
These photos show typical examples of Right of Way dumpsites:
Sandoval County, the fastest-growing county in New Mexico, encompasses 3,714 square miles of diverse geography and has a population of approximately 154,000 people. It includes the incorporated municipalities of Bernalillo, Cuba, Corrales, Jemez Springs, Rio Rancho, San Ysidro, and the Town of Cochiti Lake as well as numerous unincorporated communities, and all or portions of 12 Indian Pueblos and Tribal Nations. For more information, visit www.sandovalcountynm.gov.