Alva Review-Courier -

Monday night at the Kiowa City Council July meeting during the public agenda a conversation erupted over the city's burn site about one mile east of Kiowa. Residents are unhappy they cannot take their tree limbs and grass clippings there as they have for years.

The site has been closed since someone dumped construction trash there and the gate was ripped off and damaged.

Now in the midst of everyone's upset, the city learned they are not permitted through KDHE to have grass dumped at the site. That is considered compost and there is no permit for it. The burn site is only permitted to accept tree limbs. Kiowa is regulated by the KDHE regional office at Dodge City.

City Administrator Lou Leone said checking back for years and years the burn site was not permitted for grass clippings. Yet everyone dumped their grass there, unaware.

Leone told the Newsgram the City of Kiowa already has about $450,000 (give or take $50,000 he said) in claims due to two wildfires earlier this year believed to have started at the burn site. He said any such claims that are awarded will be paid from the city's liability insurance, which will most likely drive up the city's insurance rates.

At the council meeting Randy Robbins was one of the residents voicing upset about the closed burn site. With many pleading that the council open the burn site so they can dump their tree limbs from the latest storms, finally Robbins volunteered.

The council approved Robbins and Leone to work out times for a few partial days that Robbins will sit at the burn site so you can dump your tree limbs only. Watch the City of Kiowa's website and social media for the days and time. Robbins will not allow any grass to be dumped since it is a violation and carries a fine.