Our church, wanting to be good stewards of God’s earth and resources, has operated a re-cycling program for the last five years. In our attempt to enlarge this endeavor, we sought to put recycling bins on church property.
We were told by the city of Ringgold that we would need a zoning variance, which we were able to secure through the zoning board. The church also prepared the property so as not to cause an eyesore.
On June 8 some of the leaders of the church went before the Ringgold City Council. Our request to place recycling containers on church property was denied. This decision was short-sided, small-town politics at its worst.
Points of clarifications for the members of the City Council:
First, recyclable materials are not referred to as trash.
Second, recycle containers are not called dumpsters.
Gary Knowles, Ringgold
What the city council actually did is prevent another small business from earning an honest $$$, while also contributing to less volume in our landfill, AND lowering the costs of said containers for the business person, and ultimately to the commercial consumer.
Sometimes it seems like our leadership stops to think then forgets to start again. :(