By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

Mental health officials discussed the restructuring of mental health services in the state, as well as the challenges of funding and workforce, during a High Plains Mental Health Center-sponsored town hall meeting in Hays on Tuesday night.

"To realize the importance of a network that is so tightly bound by the values involving timely access to high-quality mental health care, I think, is one of the cornerstones of our statewide system,"  said Kyle Kessler, executive director of the Kansas Association of Mental Health Centers.

Kansas has moved away from a community mental health center model to&nbsp; Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.

Under the community mental health center model, all of the centers functioned differently and independently of each other.

The Behavioral Health Clinic has set standards for the clinics and changed the way those clinics are funded.

In the 1990s, Kansas set about to move people who needed treatment for mental illness from inpatient hospitals to community outpatient treatment.

Kansas had more than 3,000 psychiatric inpatient beds, and many community and private hospitals also had psychiatric wings.

"It kept people from being in psychiatric hospitals for months and sometimes years at a time," Kessler said, "but in that process, Kansas overcorrected."

As inpatient beds were decreased and hospitals closed, funding was supposed to follow those in need of care to community services.

Over time, policy priorities changed, Kessler said.

Funding for mental health treatment was cut repeatedly by the state. In 2015 and 2016, $30 million, equal to 10% of state mental health funding, was cut.

"We saw substantial eroding of funding that was supposed to follow people back to the communities," Kessler said.

And then even more hospital beds were cut.&nbsp;

Additional beds were cut at Ossawatomie State Hospital, and Topeka State Hospital, which had about 1,000 beds, was closed. The Rainbow mental health facility in Kansas City, which had 80 to 100 beds, closed.

"As recently as a month and a half ago, we had a waiting list of 30, and those were people who were deemed to be a danger to themselves or others by the courts and local authorities," Kessler said.

The state established a Crisis Intervention Center model, which allowed people to be treated locally for short-term acute stays.

The goal was to help people without them having to go to state hospitals or engage with law enforcement or courts or end up incarcerated, Kessler said.

A new state hospital is set to open in Wichita in 2027, which should take some pressure off Larned and Osawatomie, he said.

"I think we are going to a good place as it relates to capacity," Kessler said.

He said mental health advocates decided that if the system was going to receive renewed funding and grow, it should be rebuilt in a way that made the most sense to Kansas and was designed by Kansans.

Michelle Ponce, associate director of the Kansas Association of Mental Health Centers, further explained the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, stating they expand the services provided to their communities and alter the way the clinics are funded.

Mental health clinics have historically operated under a fee-for-service basis. Those fees for services have remained static since 2008, Ponce said. However, the costs of providing those services did not.

The new model is meant to reimburse clinics at the true cost of providing services.

"Through the process, they are getting paid a lot more for individuals who have Medicaid," Ponce said.

All community health centers and all Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics are required to serve anyone who walks through their doors who needs their services, regardless of their ability to pay.

The Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services, in its research, found that a 40% investment in the mental health system saw a 75% increase in access.

Ponce said the system is meant to be a whole, integrated health model.

"It could be an individual who is being seen for a mental illness, but they're also really struggling because maybe they have diabetes," Ponce said, "and they are having a hard time managing the symptoms of their diabetes.

"That is not something historically mental health centers would be in the business of treating. Now they are responsible for helping that individual meet those needs."

That could be through their own staff or reaching out to the local health department. It is care coordination, which is more than a referral, Ponce said.

The care coordination also involves ensuring individuals have housing, employment and food.

"It's about ensuring all of those needs are met, not simply looking through the lens of meeting their mental health needs, but really their whole-person needs," Ponce said.

The&nbsp;Behavioral Health Clinics have nine criteria they must meet. Ponce highlighted crisis services and outreach to veterans, which she said has been a population that has been difficult to reach.

High Plains Mental Health Center has a mobile crisis team. They are required to contact someone in crisis within two hours. Because of the geographic challenges in rural Kansas, case managers may take an iPad to a person or the emergency room to connect a person with a therapist remotely.

The other component of crisis response is crisis stabilization units or crisis intervention centers. The difference is that crisis intervention centers can admit involuntary patients.

High Plains Mental Health Center is remodeling the third floor of the Hadley Center as a crisis intervention center. The facility is set to open in March.

Kessler spoke about the high cost of the mental health workforce shortage in Kansas. State hospitals, especially Larned State Hospital, are using a high percentage of contract nurses.

Five years ago, the cost of contract nurses was $5 million. Now it is more than $45 million.

The Kansas Behavioral Health Center of Excellence was created to increase recruitment and retention of nursing faculty and students.&nbsp;

Before 2021, Kansas was bordered on all four sides by states that had implemented the Behavioral Health Clinics model or expanded Medicaid, allowing them to pay staff more.

In 2021, the Kansas mental health system had a 25% employee vacancy rate across the system.

"It is really hard to meet the needs of your community with a 25% staffing vacancy rate," Ponce said.

She said the&nbsp;Behavioral Health Clinic model has been a game-changer for the workforce.

The state has seen the following increases since 2021:

• 60% more child case managers • 43% more adult case managers • 75% more licensed professional counselors&nbsp; • 40% more licensed clinical social workers • 80% more licensed practical nurses • 50% more advanced practice registered nurses

However, Ponce said the system still needs to recruit more people to work in the system.

Mental health leaders address changes in mental health system during meeting in Hays

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Get great deals on furnishing in Eagle Radio auction now through Sunday

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post

&nbsp;A 21-year-old Pratt man pleaded guilty this week and
is expected to get probation in the violent attack of a Hays woman in August
2024. 

Tucker Eisenhauer pleaded guilty in Ellis County District
Court to aggravated battery, and as a result of the guilty plea, he had four
other charges dropped.

According to court documents, on Aug. 25, 2024, Eisenhauer allegedly sexually assaulted the victim by holding her against her will. He was also
charged with kidnapping for allegedly locking the victim in his pickup, aggravated
battery for allegedly violently shaking her, causing her neck to pop, and criminal
deprivation of property by allegedly taking the victim’s keys and phone during the
altercation.

Eisenhauer does not have a criminal record, so under Kansas
sentencing guidelines, the sentence would be presumptive probation with an
underlying prison sentence if he violates his probation.

Court documents show both the state and defense will ask for
eight months of jail time, but 12 months of probation.

South central Kansas man pleads guilty to aggravated battery in Hays

Congratulations to our first winner in Cash Grab this fall!&nbsp;Lisa Unrein of Hays had her name drawn on Friday morning and walked away with $250.

Keywords will be given out at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. You will have 20 minutes to enter the correct keyword that you heard on our radio stations. We will then draw out one winner on Friday morning!

Be listening to your favorite radio station (94.3 FM/1400 KAYS, 99.5 KHAZ, 101.9 The Bull, Mix 103.3, 96.9 KFIX) on Monday morning at 9 for the first keyword!

Cash Grab is presented by Robert Brogden GMC in downtown Hays, Whitetail Properties agents Adam Hahn and Mitch Keeley, Tri-Central Office Supply, and Vanderbilt’s of Hays.

💰Cash Grab Winner - Week #2

The items are arriving fast and furious for the Eagle On-Line Auction at Hays Post.

&nbsp;If you would like to get in on the action of this year’s online auction, click on the link below.&nbsp;

Dive into a digital treasure trove of savings with the Eagle Radio Online Auction!

<a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/eagle-radio-auction-descriptions-of-items">Click here&nbsp;to get registered, view items and bid.</a>

Bid now on an expansive collection ranging from home essentials to tantalizing restaurant gift cards, and valuable services from esteemed local companies and save.

 Whether you're seeking something specific or just browsing for unexpected finds, our vast selection promises both variety and value. 

The Eagle Radio online auction — where saving money is just a click away!

Eagle Radio Auction live now!

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

A unique set of new playground equipment is expected to be installed early next year in Massey Park, 17th and Allen.&nbsp;

The existing equipment was installed in 2002 and has a 20-year lifespan.

Jeff Boyle, parks director, told Hays city commissioners Thursday the current equipment is deteriorated and in poor condition, with some attachments requiring removal. Replacement parts are no longer available.&nbsp;

He presented a recommended bid award of $119,363 to Aspire 2 Play, Kansas City, which is slightly less than the budgeted $120,000.

The equipment has two large slides, an enclosed rope&nbsp;climb tunnel, several agility components and a&nbsp;separate play piece for younger kids.

The commission plans to discuss parks management during its 2026 retreat.

"We take that to heart," Boyle said. "We think the four master plan parks (established in the early 2000s) should have nice playground equipment in them."

The four parks are 7 Hills, 33rd and Hillcrest; Aubel Bickle, 30th and Sherman; Sunrise, 19th and MacArthur; and Massey, 17th and Allen.

"These are the main parks for each quadrant of town," Boyle said.

Commissioners will consider a vote on the proposed playground equipment at their Oct. 23 meeting.

2025 Sewer cleaning and inspection

Jeff Crispin, water resources director, presented the plan for the 2025 sanitary sewer annual cleaning and inspection.

About 22 miles of sewer in southwest Hays will be cleaned.&nbsp;The city has 110 miles of sewer lines and 2,172 manholes.  

 "Not every city does this," Crispin said.&nbsp;Problems that can be caused by the lack of sewer cleaning include sewer backups, manhole overflows, public exposure to raw sewage and regulatory fines.

Crispin recommended the low bid of $145,022 from CC Steel, LLC, Fargo, North Dakota, with a budget&nbsp;authority not to exceed $150,000.&nbsp;

Commissioners will vote on the recommendation next week.

Consent to deannex plat of DK Ranch Addition

Property owners BJKT LLC and Sing Along Ranch LLC of the undeveloped DK Ranch Addition have asked to&nbsp;deannex and vacate the land in west Hays and to replat and annex&nbsp;land along Columbine Drive, ultimately&nbsp;annexing the new Smoky Hill Plains Addition.

DK Ranch Addition is a large lot&nbsp;development that was platted in 2013, but never developed. The property was sold&nbsp;and is now being replatted into a more efficient residential subdivision.

The owner&nbsp;also purchased the adjacent undeveloped lots along the west side of Columbine Drive (Country Club Estates Sixth Addition), which is not currently annexed.&nbsp;The&nbsp;proposed Smoky Hill Plains Addition Plat will include those lots.

"This deannexation request, which the city has never done before, is just a way to clean up the legal description," said Jesse Rohr, public works director.

He also said he spent time with the city attorney, Don Hoffman, to make sure the request was defined correctly.

Commissioners will vote on the consent request next week. Property owner Don Tillman, Hays, was present in the audience but did not speak about the project.&nbsp;

Commissioner Comments Rodeway Inn Update

In response to a question from Shaun Musil during commissioner comments, City Manager Toby Dougherty said the former Rodeway Inn,&nbsp;3404 Vine, which was ordered <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5e02e23b-0f72-40cb-9cb4-862afda92c4c">closed by the Kansas Fire Marshall</a> in 2024, is still making progress toward being <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/c3f6ae0c-f19d-4942-ba25-abc32c8d50a9">sold by the owner,&nbsp;HKHR Hospitality Inc.&nbsp;</a>

"We've been working with Grow Hays on this," Dougherty reported, "but are preparing for the city to abate the property if necessary."

Remembering Hays Police Sgt. Scott Heimann

"It's been a difficult time for the family and friends, the police department and the community at large," said Mason Ruder, commissioner. "Scott was an amazing guy."

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/1fb5c077-c5f5-45c3-8604-d7847df5ed24">Heiman was killed in the line of duty on Sept. 28, while responding to a domestic violence call in Hays.</a>

"I've lived here my whole life," said Sandy Jacobs, mayor. "I can't remember a time I ever said this <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/828772e4-ab2d-416f-a5cb-bd6631c6d836">whole community is sad</a>."

At the end of the work session, the commission adjourned into a 15-minute executive session to discuss the possible acquisition of real property.

Unique playground equipment planned for Massey Park in Hays 

Kansas Democrats will gather in Hays Kansas to hear from key Democratic Leaders &amp; Statewide Candidates in the Democracy Fest Tour Final Stop.

The Kansas Democratic Party will be hosting Democrats in Hays for the final tour stop of Democracy Fest. This stop will feature Kansas Democratic Party Chair Jeanna Repass along with Statewide Candidates for Governor, Secretary of State, and the United States Senate. Additional speakers will include Kansas Democratic Party leaders and local elected officials. &nbsp;

“The Democracy Fest events across Kansas have been enormous successes which exemplifies how activated Democrats in Western Kansas and rural communities are at this crucial time in our state and our nation.” Kansas Democratic Party Chair Jeanna Repass said. “We have heard from Kansans from all parties during our events and they are committed to fairness and our shared values. The Kansas Democratic Party is dedicated to ensuring that all elected officials in our state are held to the highest standards of those shared values.”

Details for Hays Kansas Democracy Fest: Date:&nbsp;Saturday, October 18, 2025 Time:&nbsp;1:00pm – 4:00pm. Location:&nbsp;Bird Ranch, 1395 Rome Road, Hays, Kansas

Kansas Democratic Party to wrap up Democracy Fest Saturday in Hays

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://hayspost.com/category/obituaries">HERE</a>&nbsp;to view the most recent obituaries and service times from our funeral home partners.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/corrections-about-us">Click HERE for the Hays Post obituary policy.&nbsp;</a>

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/45c326ac-a856-480a-b491-0312e5d43c5c">Find our obituary posting policy by clicking here.</a>

Recent obituaries and service times

The five candidates for Hays USD 489 were interviewed by the Hays Post. Their responses are being presented in a question-and-answer format. The other candidates running include: Ken Brooks, Craig Pallister, Curt Vajanr and Meagan Zampieri-Lillpopp.

Three seats are available on the board. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Age:&nbsp;61 Occupation: Small business owner. I own Amazing Grace Home Care, and also the Horseshoe Bar and Grill. I'm a registered nurse.

What do you think qualifies you to run for the school board?

I feel like in my past, not only as a parent and a grandparent of kids in the school district, I have 11 grandchildren and most of them have been in public school systems here, but also as a small business owner, I understand policies and understand the economics of running a business, and the school board can be looked at that way.

There's expectations on the part of the school board to be able to manage the resources in a wise manner. I think that's one of the things that qualifies me. Over the past several decades that I've been a small business owner, we have learned to manage our resources wisely. I think that could be lended to functioning as a school board member.

Do you have a child or grandchild currently attending Hays USD 489 schools or did any of your children attend in the past?

All of my children attended Hays High and were in the public school system here, from Lincoln during grade school, all the way through. Then I have grandchildren in the public school system. Now, they're at O'Loughlin.

I want to be able to help the school board be more in tune with the expectations of the voters. I feel like in the past few years, there's been maybe a disconnect between some of our leadership and what the citizens of Hays and the voters are expecting.

I want to be able to run for the school board and be on the school board to help citizens know that they will be listened to, that they will have input, that there will be more transparency and more accountability.

It'll be where the school board actually has a better working relationship with the voters, as opposed to having leadership that maybe has that disconnect. I want to be able to bring that to the school board and allow for a better connection between our leadership and the voters.

Follow-up question: What do you think are the expectations of the voters?

I think that voters expect the school board to manage our resources wisely. But also, of course, the school board [also has] obligations not only to maintain the buildings, you know, and maintain our infrastructure and that sort of thing, but also watch over the outcomes.

So that way, our students are competitive, our students are having scores that are commiserate with what we would expect, compared to other schools in the in the state and in the country too, but specifically in Kansas.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/f2138940-793a-4268-b8ea-10de031c1f84">SEE RELATED STORY: Hays USD 489 recognized as high performing district in the state</a>

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/266f4fda-58af-4735-b1d9-29a3d1bfb60c">SEE RELATED STORY: Hays USD 489 to focus on math under new state accreditation system</a>

 I would want to be able to show that USD 489 can continue to be a really strong district when it comes to making sure that our students graduate competitively.

But what I really think the voters expect is that the school board manages and navigates those resources so kids who graduate from our school systems here can afford to stay here and live here.

We want them to be able to stay, and we want them to be able to use the skills that they learned from our public school system, and maybe even, you know, go to Fort Hays and continue on as citizens of this community.

I want that to be an all-inclusive package, where we can promote future growth of Hays by making sure that we have good growth promoted by our school board.

Follow up questions: Do you think the academic standards for the local school district do not equal the state and other districts?

I think, in comparison, just from the things that I've read, it's specifically math that is the one that you know runs about 30% are not at grade level. <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/f2138940-793a-4268-b8ea-10de031c1f84">See a report on math scores from 2024.</a>&nbsp;

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/be1ecb7f-dc52-4c44-aff4-c1ad39716611">SEE RELATED STORY: Kansas state education board expands scoring range for student assessments</a>

The graduation rate is good, but I think we can do better as far as the math proficiency scores and get to a higher amount.

The one thing I hope I can also bring to the table is that spending more money on something doesn't necessarily translate into improved outcomes and improved scores.

There are other factors that are involved in there, supporting the teachers and supporting the school functions as a general rule. I don't think it necessarily means we have to spend more money on it. That's one way we can also answer to the taxpayers, because we can make sure that we're not trying to solve problems just by spending more money.&nbsp;

Do you support the district's five-year capital improvement plan? If not, is there anything that you would change about it?

I do support the plan overall, but I do also request there be more transparency in that plan. Because as a community member attending school board meetings, it's very difficult to hear that some of the school board had not actually seen some of the [floor] plans, and some readable plans.

For the project for the new high school, when the building was ready to be started, they had not actually seen the plans yet. So that's frustrating as a community member to not have that kind of transparency, where we can expect, at least our school board has seen the plans going into the future projects. 

So some of the school board members had said in their meetings that I've attended they hope they can get better. That's also something that I hope. There needs&nbsp;to be improvement there where school board members can ask for readable plans and get them in a timely fashion.

That way, they have an opportunity to make suggestions, maybe some cost-cutting measures that could be brought to them by the community or brought to the builders by the school board. That way, we can all work together to maybe save a little bit, but still come out with a great project.

Do you support the plans for the remaining bond projects? If not, is there anything that you would change about those projects?

Specifically with regard to the old Hays High, which will become the middle school, I think some of the building projects I would change.

I would change the plan [to eliminate] things that don't need to be redone. For instance, the most recent discussion was about the floors. And as the superintendent said, the floors are actually really in great shape there. There's nothing wrong with them. They're perfectly fine.

What I would like to do is focus on the things that are OK and renovate only the areas that need improvement. I think we could save a considerable amount of money rather than demolishing something that is actually OK and usable.

That's something that community members would do in their own personal lives, in their own homes and their own small businesses. Nobody would demolish a perfectly good floor just because we have money to spend on it.

I think I support the plan, but I&nbsp;think there are ways that we can navigate through that plan and make some changes that would actually result in a lower amount of money spent at the end of the day.

How would you view your role as a school board member, oversight with administrators and teachers handling day-to-day operations, or the board manages all aspects of operations?

I think oversight because the teachers and administrators should be in charge of daily operations. The teachers should be in charge of their classrooms.

I think the school board should be able to provide oversight to all of those functions and intervene from a policy standpoint if they see a problem. Collectively, if the school board votes to re-examine some of those policies, that's where I think their obligation would lie.

Do you think the district is adequately managing its budget? If not, what would you change or cut?

I think the answer to that question lies in an audit from top to bottom of all expenses, because any functioning business, which you know, the school district is a functioning business, has an opportunity to find and root out any waste.

Something, maybe funds would be better used over here. I would answer that question by starting with an audit and look at everything from top to bottom.

Because without looking at that and seeing where each itemized transaction, where all that money is going, I can't really say what I would cut, because that's not fair.

That's not fair to the school board or to the budget in general, without an answer to that question, without being able to audit it and see where the money has gone.

Follow up, do you have any idea how costly that might be to do an audit? The district already has to undergo an audit every year of its accounting practices.

But this would be a different layer. This would be a&nbsp;different layer, and yes, there's an expense involved in auditing. However, usually the outcomes of those audits offset the expense of the audit in general. That's what I mean. 

Most businesses find that to be true, because the reason for doing an audit in the first place is there's questions that haven't been answered.

If there's any hope of adjusting the budget to be more efficient, it has to start with an audit. It's not a negative thing. Actually, to do an audit is a positive thing because it's a search for more efficiency. It's a search for more savings. It's a search for moving money around. So maybe this project over here can get off the ground. It's not a negative thing to audit yourself.

Are there any policies that you think should be changed? How would you change those policies if you had the ability?

I think one thing I would change is the statement made at the start of the school board meetings that the community is told not to bring up something that's already been brought up. There may be a better way to word that. 

I understand that the intention behind it was not to have community members all coming up and saying the same thing. But when that is said to the community, it makes them feel like they're supposed to be able to keep track of what everybody else brought up, which is impossible. 

Also, it makes them feel like, if more than one community member is saying the same thing, that the perception is that no one's listening if they have to keep saying the same thing over and over again. So I would change that because I think it would go a long way in changing the community's perception of the school board.

 It would make the community feel like the school board is there to listen, and I want people to feel&nbsp;that way. I want people to feel like they're going to be heard and they're going to be listened to.

Not told that way, you can't say this, or you can't say that, because somebody else already did. 

I would also change a policy where people could tune into the school board meetings via Zoom in real time, so that way, if they had a question or part of the community participation could be questions put into the Zoom chat.

Even if those questions couldn't be answered during that school board meeting, they easily could be answered later in a different format that would allow for greater community participation. I think people would feel more heard if they could ask a question and not necessarily have to stand up in front of everybody.

 I don't think community members should be required to give their address, as it becomes public information when recorded on video and shared on YouTube and other platforms. 

So I don't think community members should have to give their address, because I do know from some people in the community that's one of the reasons that they won't speak at the school board meeting.

For whatever reason, they're required to give their address, and they don't want to do that. I realize that protects us from having people from outside of Hays come talk at school board meetings as part of the community.

They could just say, 'I'm from here in Hays.' I don't think they should have to give their address, and I would like to see that policy change.&nbsp;

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

This is something that I have said to people, not only just over campaigning, but also just in general, is that we have leadership that is perceived to be a little out of touch with the voters and with the community, and this is true of school board, city commission, state and federal government.

It doesn't matter what level it is, any level of leadership we have to make sure that our public, the voters, know that we're not out of touch, that we do listen to what they have to say, and that we care about our the impact of our decisions.

When you have leadership that's out of touch with the voters and with their constituents, it's really easy to raise taxes. It's really easy to make decisions without feeling the pain that the people are going to feel in an average household. 

It may seem like only a few dollars over here, but when you add all those things together, some people&nbsp;are really suffering. It hurts me that we have so many people talking about moving out of Hays because of whatever the issue is, whether it be property taxes or bond paybacks.

I mean, whatever the issue is, I'd like to see us take an opportunity to turn that around to where we don't have people talking about moving out of Hays. We have people talking about moving into Hays. I want to fill that high school with as many students as it can handle, and I think there are some things that we can do to make that happen.

As told to Cristina Janney/Hays Post

Hays USD 489 candidate Q&A: Kelly Ancar

The City of Hays is issuing a final reminder to residents that the annual Fall Cleanup is set to begin at 7 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 20. All materials for collection must be sorted and placed at the proper pickup location (curb or alley) by this deadline to ensure pickup.

Crews will make only one pass through the city.

To serve every household, a time limit of 10 minutes per residence will be strictly enforced.

An additional 10 minutes will be allotted for the collection of tree limbs and brush.

Any items remaining after the time limit has been reached will be the responsibility of the property owner to remove.

"The success of the cleanup hinges on resident cooperation," said Joe Billinger, solid waste superintendent. "Properly sorting items into the four required categories is the most important step a resident can take. It allows our crews to use the right equipment for each type of material, which protects our staff and machinery and helps us stay on schedule for the whole community."

Waste must be separated into the following four piles:

Construction &amp; Demolition Debris: Lumber, drywall, bricks, sinks. Please bend over or pull all nails from lumber and place small quantities of brick or concrete in containers. A maximum limit of 5 pallets will be collected.

Tree Limbs &amp; Brush: Small quantities only. No other yard waste will be collected. Citizens must instead use the compost site or the yard waste tag program

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