On Saturday morning, June 17, 2023, the quiet neighborhood of Labish Village just north of Salem saw a flurry of activity as residents throughout the area were outside preparing for a community clean-up. The clean-up event began just after 8:30 a.m. as crews from D&O Garbage and Recycling worked through the area; going house to house collecting solid waste. Unlike regular weekly garbage service, this effort focused on helping every residence in the neighborhood dispose of unwanted solid waste, some of which had been accumulating for years. Residents in the area described seeing neighbors working throughout the week, gathering items for the clean-up.
Planning for the project began in April 2023 after listening to concerns shared by residents about numerous solid waste violations throughout the area. Taking a people-first approach, the Sheriff’s Office Code Enforcement team and Marion County Public Works – Environmental Services sought community support for the clean-up project.
At the forefront of the clean-up effort was D&O Garbage and Recycling, the franchise hauler serving the Labish Village area. Derek Neliton and the team from D&O Garbage and Recycling volunteered to provide labor and trucks to support the clean-up effort. Overall, the one-day project yielded over 77,000 lbs of solid waste in addition to an estimated 150 tires.
Operations Commander Kevin Karvandi said, “The success of this project relied on the commitment of the Labish Village community members to spread the word and help each other gather items for disposal. We appreciate the incredible contribution to this effort made by the D&O team by volunteering their time and resources to make this project happen!”
The Sheriff’s Office Code Enforcement team investigates issues related to solid waste, land use, parking, and other violations of Marion County Code. In 2022, our three Code Enforcement Officers processed nearly 1,200 new cases from throughout the unincorporated areas of Marion County.
