Camera surveillance at green boxes leads to charges for Willis man
At a Sept. 24 hearing before Judge Randal Duncan, prosecutors said they plan to dismiss the charges in six months if Jason Allen Ruff completes 25 hours of community service and pays a $100 fine.
The warning that Floyd County’s green boxes are under surveillance is more than a bluff.
This spring, a camera pointed at the green boxes near Kyle Weeks Road captured evidence that authorities used to charge Jason Allen Ruff of Willis, according to Tara Hollandsworth of the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office.
County Administrator Kim Chiddo said video camera use is helping reduce the presence of prohibited items, such as building materials, that fall outside the definition of household solid waste that’s allowed in the bins.
“It doesn’t stop it, but it decreases it tremendously,” Chiddo said.
Cameras currently monitor three green box locations, Chiddo said: one on Franklin Pike Southeast, one on Webbs Mill Road across from Simmons Grocery, and one on Daniels Run Road adjacent to the Floyd County EMS station. The county uses cameras only at sites where it owns the real estate or has landowner permission, she said.
A county official reviews the footage and involves the sheriff’s office to investigate concerns.
The evidence against Ruff showed that he put building materials including paint and metal in the bins and left old stereo equipment outside them, according to Chip Slate, who handled the case for the Floyd County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.
The incident occurred May 3, and Ruff, 48, was charged about two weeks later with improper use of a bulk refuse container and trash dumping, court filings show.
At a Sept. 24 hearing before Judge Randal Duncan, prosecutors said they plan to dismiss the charges in six months if Ruff completes 25 hours of community service and pays a $100 fine.
Ruff’s attorney, David Rhodes, agreed to the arrangement. Rhodes did not respond to a request for comment after court.
Floyd County’s dozens of green boxes are intended for household solid waste from county residents and property owners. Prohibited items include building materials, trees, brush, grass clippings, manure, appliances, furniture, tires, mattresses, carpet, auto parts, dead animals, hazardous waste, commercial waste, and items too large to fit in the containers, according to the posted rules.
Large objects such as building materials may be dropped off at the county trash transfer station but pose a variety of risks in the bins, Chiddo said. They can jam during emptying, forcing the refuse truck driver to try to manually release the obstruction, or shift and damage trucks, particularly their windshields. A battery recently found in a bin’s contents could have caused a fire, Chiddo said.
