Clark County and the City of Vancouver Public Works have again partnered to provide residents with coupons for free disposal of leaves at four drop-off sites, from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31. Fall leaves are beautiful on trees, but not on the streets, where they can clog stormwater drains, cause localized flooding, and create driving hazards. 

The coupons are good for disposal of up to five cubic yards of leaves only by Clark County residents. Leaves must be emptied from bags at the disposal site. Click here to see a list of drop-off locations. Regular disposal prices apply to branches and other yard debris, as well as mixed loads of leaves and yard debris.

Residents can find the coupons in a variety of sites, including in the Recycling Refresher newsletter, sent to all Clark County households; through the City’s website at www.cityofvancouver.us/solidwaste; the Green Neighbors website at clarkgreenneighbors.org; and at Vancouver City Hall and the County Public Service Center. 

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, the nation’s largest free, volunteer-run tax preparation and assistance service, is seeking volunteers across the state to help taxpayers in Clark and Skamania counties in preparing and filing their 2017 tax returns. Volunteers are needed during the tax season which runs from Jan. 29, 2017 to April 17, 2018.  Volunteers receive free tax training and can be reimbursed on a limited basis for qualified program-related expenses. They help taxpayers at sites around the district, learning new skills while giving back to communities. For more information, visit http://www.aarp.org/money/taxes/info-2006/volunteer_aarp_tax_aide.htm.

Thanks to a grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology, the Repair Cafe program has found a permanent home at Clark County’s Columbia Springs. Skilled volunteers donate their time and talents to help foster a culture of “fixing” items instead of throwing them away and contributing to the ever growing issues associated with landfills. With this grant funding, Columbia Springs hopes to increase the number of Repair Cafe events, create a DIY information library on its website, expand the network of volunteer “fixers,” and increase access for low-income and non-English speaking residents. The funding recently received for the Repair Cafe program is for the 2017-2019 funding cycle.

The City of Vancouver is still seeking volunteers interested in filling an open position on its Civil Service Commission. The deadline to submit an application has been extended to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20. The commission is an employment system used by government entities to establish rules governing employee hiring, disciplinary actions, and many important aspects of human resource administration in city government. Applicants must be a city resident for at least the last three years prior to applying. To apply, visit www.cityofvancouver.us/boards email michelle.bartley@cityofvancouver.us or call 360-487-8607. To learn more about the commission, visit www.cityofvancouver.us/csc.