Director: Leonard Corona

Randall Camp, Public Works Director
(575) 258-4343 ext.1008
E-mail: RandallCamp

For Ordinance 2007-12 Amending Chapters 38 & 70 and Appendix A Fee Schedule, please click here.

Mission Statement:
To serve the Village of Ruidoso Citizens with the best customer service available while promoting a clean and healthy environment. To protect the interests of the Village of Ruidoso by maximizing proper use of Departmental assets, equipment and personnel.

Services
Welcome to the Solid Waste Department. The facility office is located on Close St. off Gavilan Canyon Road. The Department is responsible for all commercial and residential solid waste collection, Large Item Pick Up, and organic waste removal within the Village of Ruidoso City limits. The Department operates one Transfer Station located on Gavilan Canyon Road. At this site, collected waste is transferred to a tractor trailer for transporting to the Otero / Lincoln County Landfill located approximately 79 miles South of Ruidoso.

The Solid Waste Department is equipped with an assortment of transportation equipment needed to provide all these services. Presently the Department is equipped with four Refuse Collection trucks, two Grabble trucks for organic waste removal, three Tractor Trailer trucks for waste transport, and several half ton and one ton pickups.

Recycling
In addition to these services, the Department manages a recycling program that includes cardboard, aluminum, and newsprint. Several designated dumpsters are located throughout the Village of Ruidoso and are blue in color for easy identification. Commercial customers can request Cardboard dumpsters to be placed at their business location. Each dumpster is also identified by type of recycling material to be deposited. Two locations where the public may dispose of recyclable materials are at:

• Fire Station No. 2
  
• Old Wal-Mart Parking Lot along Hwy 70
  
  

In concert with the recycling program, the Solid Waste Department is an active participant in the "Keep Ruidoso Beautiful" Community program by providing litter control personnel throughout the Village. Our personnel take pride in maintaining and preserving the beauty of this unique mountain retreat!

Our hours of operation are from 7:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday; our Phone No. is (575) 257-1502. You may call our office after office hours and leave a message and we will return your call upon request.

Refuse Collection Information
Our refuse collection trucks run seven days a week including holidays. Here are a few helpful hints of do's and don'ts that will expedite the service and at the same time provide protection for the driver, equipment and private property:

• Disposal of Fire Place Ashes
  To safely dispose of fire place ashes into a dumpster, you must deposit your ashes into a metal container, douse them with water until soaked, leave them in container for at least 24 hours, if ashes feel cool to the touch, place them in a trash bag and close. If the ashes still feel warm to the touch, repeat process until it is safe to throw them into the dumpster. This process will prevent ignition of a fire in the dumpster or inside the refuse collection truck.
  
• Bear Locks and Lids
  In order to prevent litter from blowing away or being carried away by Bears or Crows, it is essential that dumpster lids are closed at all times. Your cooperation will prevent unsightly littered areas from happening. This is your community.
  
• Blocked Dumpsters
  Do not obstruct dumpsters! Do not park vehicles too close to dumpster containers or pile organic waste next to one.
  

Organic Waste Removal
An important element of the Village Community Forest Management Plan is removal of forest debris and pine needles. In 2002 Village Council approved purchase of two additional "grapple" trucks and drivers. The Solid Waste Department now has a fleet of four trucks that generally run 10 hours per day, six days a week. The Village is divided into four quadrants and regular routes are maintained. This service is available to residential and commercial properties, structured or vacant, within the Village limits. All forest debris removed from the Village is transported to Sierra Contracting, Inc. where it is processed for recycling. Here are a few tips that will help customers and our drivers when providing this service:

• Pine Needles
  When setting out pine needles, place them by the edge of the road. Do not obstruct traffic or pedestrian walkways. Also, do not place pine needles in the bar ditch, someone else’s property, or too close to fences or dumpsters.
  Our drivers will not remove pine needles that are mixed with household trash, lumber, or any other material that is not organic waste; the disposal site will not accept mixed organic waste or bagged pine needles.