A Brookhaven charitable organization says it is becoming adumping ground for mattresses, furniture and other unwanted debris,and the expense to dispose of the items is proving costly.

“Our bill for hauling off this stuff is $400-$600 a month,” saidBrookhaven Outreach Ministries Director the Rev. Jerry Durr as helooked at a pile of debris left recently at organizationheadquarters on East Court Street.

Durr said outreach does appreciate donations, but they should bebrought to the agency at the proper hours — between 8:30 a.m. and4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Instead, some items are left on the dock overnight, and they canbe rendered unusable if it rains.

“The ones who bring this garbage, it puts a burden on us,” Durrsaid.

Durr said the ministry officials then either have to call thecity or get rid of the items themselves. Pointing out severalmattresses, a stack of tires and other items, Durr estimated thecost of getting rid of those alone would be over $100.

“We’re a charitable organization, and this cuts into our budgetwhen they drop things off here,” Durr said.

Durr said the problem has been going on for years, but it hasworsened lately.

“In the last eight months, it’s gotten really out of hand,” hesaid.

Durr asked that anyone who sees someone leaving large items atthe organization during the night contact the police. Durr said healso hoped to speak with the mayor and board of aldermen about thesituation.

“It’s not a landfill,” Durr said. “It’s a ministry we have hereto minister and preach to the people in the community.”

Mayor Bob Massengill said he would be talking with Durr to seeif they could develop a feasible plan to help the organization. Themayor added that he had seen the situation at the ministry’sbuilding and agreed with Durr’s assessment.

“It’s absolutely awful what they do,” Massengill said.

Unfortunately, said Brookhaven Solid Waste Superintendent WillieW. Smith, Brookhaven Outreach Ministries is not alone in being adisposal site for unwanted items.

“It’s a problem around town,” Smith said. “They’ll do itanywhere they think they can get away with it.”

Smith cited a recent board of aldermen policy that requireslandowners to be responsible for getting rid of items on theirproperty.

Currently, Smith said, there is a $5 per item fee for disposingof items such as mattresses and furniture at the landfill. Oneoption that has been discussed, but never acted upon, is to raisegarbage rates enough for city crews to pick up all items.

“Nobody’s going to own up to putting it there,” Smith said.