Things Will Be Picking Up All Over Town : Utilities: City will set out bins in neighborhoods to collect big items--for free. Officials says the collection centers are cheaper than picking up dumped items.

In an effort to rid Glendale streets and yards of worn-out sofas and chairs, mattresses and other bulky items, officials will place giant trash containers throughout the city.

Beginning Sept. 11, three burgundy bins will be dropped off each weekend for the next seven weeks in different neighborhoods Discards can be tossed into the bins for free removal by city crews.

City Manager David Ramsay said the trash removal is the latest in a series of neighborhood beautification programs. The city also has a code enforcement team that inspects dwellings and regular graffiti-removal events.

The annual cost of the bins, which will be placed in neighborhoods twice yearly, has not been determined, said waste manager Lino Torres. But, he said, the expense is expected to be less than the city spends to remove junk dumped in public areas. The program will be funded through the city’s monthly $10.10 residential trash fees, Torres said.

The bins for the program are among the city’s 14 roll-off refuse containers. The city’s 10- to 14-cubic-yard containers are rented for construction projects and other private use.

“We are in direct competition with the private sector,” Torres said. “We compete for business just like any other business.”

The neighborhood cleanup program is being administered by the city’s newly expanded Neighborhood Services Department.

“It’s a mom-and-apple-pie issue,” said Sam Engel, neighborhood services administrator. Once areas are cleaned up, he said residents usually take extra care in maintaining their neighborhoods.

From Sept. 11-14, the bins will be across from 3638 Santa Carlotta St. on the north side, at 1743 Bel Aire Drive on the west side and across from 800 Olmstead Drive on the east side.

Residents have been asked not to put lawn and garden clippings and hazardous materials in the containers. Yard clippings are picked up during regular refuse collection. Hazardous materials and containers are collected free by the city Fire Department on the second Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the city’s Environmental Management Center, 780 Flower St.

Sites for the large bins will be announced weekly by Neighborhood Services.