Editor,
While visiting the stump dump yesterday to dispose of winter sticks, I noted that not just a few, but numerous very large commercial dump trucks, fully loaded with large trees, were coming in, one after the other, utilizing our POA facility. After speaking with someone there, I learned this is a daily occurrence.
None of these trucks were POA or city of Bella Vista trucks. To describe some of the vehicles, at least six appeared to be very new, white, with a name on the driver's door. They rotated in and out. Others, older trucks with no name, fully loaded, also kept coming in and out. I did learn there is either a resident of Bella Vista or simply a lot owner who is the owner of a tree service and subsequently utilizes the facility for the commercial dumping of trees and debris.
This facility is owned and operated by the POA for the benefit of property owners. The POA already has closed one stump dump and, if it keeps allowing the current one to be used by commercial entities, it will rapidly become obsolete. It appears that this venture, for whatever reason(s), has turned into a dumping ground for outside commercial businesses and lot owners who live in Bella Vista and own tree clearing (trimming) businesses.
In my opinion, this constitutes illegal usage of POA property. If the leadership of the POA has the intention of simply charging outside entities to utilize POA owned and operated facilities, ergo the stump dump, I wonder if it has made application to both federal and state authorities to operate a commercial dump facility?
Carl Heffner
Bella Vista
Editorial on 03/14/2018