CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG-TV9) -- Work is finally underway to create hiking and biking trails up and down an old Cedar Rapids landfill. And opening the old “Mt. Trashmore” to reactional uses will prompt the solid waste agency to create a new and somewhat unique position.
In four to six weeks, weather permitting, hikers and bikers can try the Mt. Trashmore trails and visit the scenic overlook.
And when they do, they’ll be met by Iowa’s first “recreation coordinator” at a monitored landfill site.
Joe Horaney, a spokesperson for the Cedar Rapids-Linn County Solid Waste Agency says the best analogy may be the person hired will be the park ranger for the old landfill site.
Horaneuy says they need someone to oversee the site based on all the people asking about planning activities and organized events even before it opens to use.
A recreation coordinator would lead tours and oversee trail maintenance. But there’s also security issues.
Horaney says as a state regulated landfill, though closed, the manager of recreation would have to log in each visitor and make sure everyone stays safe.
“We have this overlook now and when we have the trails there’s going to be so much interest we need one person dedicated to it,” Horaney said.
The solid waste agency spent about $600,000 on the overlook and trails at the landfill so far. It’s expected to end up as a million dollar project once new features are added in coming years.
The opening for a recreational manager for the old landfill was posted just a few days ago. Horaney says landfill fees, and not tax dollars, will fund the position.