TREASURE ISLAND - The city is joining other Pinellas communities in modernizing curbside residential garbage collection.
Beginning Tuesday, the first phase of Treasure Island's new fully automated garbage pickup will kick off in the Paradise Island neighborhood.
Garbage trucks equipped with mechanical arms will let workers lift city-issued roll-out receptacles off the street and empty them, returning the carts to the curb.
Each single-family residence will receive a 90-gallon numbered receptacle this week.
Distribution is set for Thursday and Friday.
The new system will streamline waste collection and reduce the potential for employee injuries, city employees say.
"Our current method of collecting garbage exposes the homeowner and the garbage men to many hazards from heavy or worn-out garbage cans," said Hal Bruce, transportation director for the city of Treasure Island.
"Oftentimes, dogs, cats or the wind scatter garbage placed at the curb. This creates an eyesore and health hazard."
The new automated pickup does not affect collection of recyclables and yard waste.
The receptacles are city property and are numbered and assigned to each residence.
The receptacles stay with the house, regardless of whether the resident sells or moves.
Property owners will be charged the cost of replacing a receptacle if the one assigned to the residence is removed.
Additional receptacles can be purchased by calling the Treasure Island Public Works Department at 547-4575, ext. 250.
Information is available online at www.mytreasureisland.org.
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JOHN'S PASS - John's Pass Bridge commuters should be prepared to take an alternate route Thursday morning because contractors working on the bridge replacement plan to detonate blasting material to remove the old bascule piers and footings.
The blasting will primarily be underwater.
The John's Pass Channel and Bridge will be closed to boat, vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
The public will be barred from the blast zone, a radius of approximately 2,000 feet, for at least two hours, beginning about 7:30 a.m.
The closure may be extended if it's necessary to delay the blast because a protected marine species has entered the zone.
For detailed information on the blast, contact the FDOT at 727 343-3100.
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ST. PETE BEACH - A community meeting will be held Tuesday in the social hall of St. John's Catholic Church, 445 82nd Ave.
Commissioner Mike Finnerty will discuss how to improve the community for St. Pete Beach residents.
The St. Pete Beach Police Department will conduct a sobriety checkpoint in the area of County Park, 4700 Gulf Blvd., on Saturday, Sept. 2, from midnight to 3 a.m.
News for the Beaches Neighborhood Notebook may be e-mailed to SPTimeslistings@yahoo.com or mailed to Lorrie Lykins, P.O. Box 4954, Seminole, FL 33775. The deadline for inclusion in the Wednesday Neighborhood Times is the previous Friday.
