Messenger Publisher

"Keep out."

That’s the message Troy Public Works Director Jake Wingard is sending to the young riders bringing their all-terrain vehicles to the city landfill.

"I’m putting up signs, but I want to let the parents know, too," he said. "If we catch these kids out there, their parents will be fined."

Wingard said ATV riders have been frequenting the city’s landfill site off Hudson Road, damaging both the landfill and equipment at the site.

Although the main gates are locked, riders are accessing the 72-acre site from the road by "jumping the curb," Wingard said.

"We’re pretty sure it’s kids," he said. "They’re riding all over and messing with equipment."

Because the landfill is divided into two sections – a closed Subtitle D landfill and a current-use debris site – Wingard said riders face several dangers.

"When you bury debris, you can get soft spots," he said. "One of those four-wheelers could hit one of those low spots and could turn over and hurt someone. We don’t want that."

Moreover, riders on the closed Subtitle D section are creating ruts in the grassy areas. "You make ruts, that starts washes and ADEM inspects that and we’ll be in trouble," he said.

Add to that the damage to equipment – such as broken seats and knobs on the earth-moving equipment at the landfill – and Wingard said the situation is dangerous for all involved.

"We just want to make sure parents are aware that their kids need to stop," he said.

If caught, riders or their parents could face a $500 fine for trespassing on city property, Wingard said.

Wingard said while the fine may be steep, it’s necessary to discourage riders from frequenting the site, before someone gets hurt. Safety, he added, is his main concern.

"Equipment you can replace;

grass you can re-grow; but we don’t anyone to get hurt."