Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

This week is a good time to clean up property in Albert Lea, with disposal of garbage and other waste for free or reduced fees Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at the city transfer station, 2506 Richway Drive.

City residents may dispose of the following for free:

• Brush and yard waste
• Household garbage
• Demolition debris

The following will require a fee:

• $10 per appliance or mattress
• $5 per furniture piece
• $3 per passenger car tire (regular rate for all other tires and rims)

Proper disposal of trash and other refuse helps protect the community’s health, safety and aesthetics. Accumulating refuse can lead to offensive odors, insects and rodents.

“We can all play a role in protecting the health and safety of our community by keeping our property neat,” said J.D. Carlson, public safety director for Albert Lea. “We don’t want our yards to look like junkyards. Local laws prohibit refuse that becomes a nuisance, and the Albert Lea Police Department is responsible for enforcing these laws.”

If refuse becomes a nuisance as defined by city code, then the police department can contract the removal of refuse and assess the cost — plus administrative fees — back to the property owner. See the complete description of public nuisances by going to http://cityofalbertlea.org, clicking on “City Code,” and searching for “Section 28.003.”

To report a violation, call the local law enforcement dispatch at 507-377-5210. While your identity can remain anonymous to the property owner who is the subject of your complaint, responding officers would like your name and phone number to gather more information.

For details about the Transfer Station, visit this webpage.