Rows of empty propane tanks at Healey Park near Exit 13 in Concord have again brought attention to the problem of trash from homeless encampents in the city, a problem that volunteers say the homeless themselves would like to help solve.

“The people that live down there are going to be responsible, they’re going to do it themselves, if we can help them,” said Andrea Alexander, who spearheads an informal group called Concord Kind. “They do want to clean up their areas. They have a rat infestation there – but they’re not allowed to use purple bags (for trash) and even if they were, they can’t afford them.”

Alexander and others in Concord Kind are trying to line up a dumpster to take some of the trash from the encampment in Healey Park and are trying to work through complications, including the city’s concern about liability if somebody gets hurt in the park, and the need to separate out hazardous materials such as needles and other “sharps.” She said she will try to get the issue on the agenda for the next meeting of the city’s steering committee for the Plan to End Homelessness.

The most visible current issue at the park are more than a dozen propane tanks, apparently empty, lined up next to a walkway on the west side of the Manchester Street bridge, close to the encampment. It’s not clear who put them there or what will happen to them, said Alexander, who has discussed the issue with city police and the Parks and Recreation Department.

Concord Kind, she said, is trying to get a dumpster brought to the site to take large items, including the tanks.

“The plan is to have it there for 12 hours. We’re going to man it the whole time to make sure nothing that’s not supposed to go in there does go in there. … (Homeless people) will be responsible to bring their stuff – loading the dumpster all day,” she said. “Our goal is to get rid of the big stuff . … We know it’s not a solution but it’s a starting point.”

She has been talking with Matt Couto, owner of Concord-based Dump-It, which rents dumpsters. Couto said he was willing to provide the dumpster for free, taking the propane tanks and other difficult-to-dispose-of items like tires and mattresses, as long as it is handled properly.

“My main concern is and always has to be ... guaranteeing that no hazardous waste will be getting into the dumpster,” he said. “We want to help. Concord is my city.”

One concern of officials is that Concord Kind is an informal Facebook group without any legal structure. It has grown from a few people to a group of nearly 700 individuals who do things like purchase warm clothing, supplies and food for the unhoused in Concord or help provide transportation. Alexander created it after being inspired by Hooksett Kind, a similar Facebook group.

Helping get encampments cleaned up fits with the desire of its participants to help those in need and help the community as well, she said: “I want that eyesore gone. Concord is a beautiful city … so what are we going to do that helps these people who want help?”

David Brooks can be reached at dbrooks@cmonitor.com