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Story Archives: New garbage ordinances effective Dec. 1


New garbage ordinances effective Dec. 1
posted Wednesday, October 15th, 2008 @ 10:53 pmE-mail Story E-mail Story | Print Story Print Story 
Monroe officials are ironing out ways to enforce its new garbage ordinance, which will take effect Dec. 1.

The new ordinance will take effect following a public awareness campaign.

Public Works director Tom Janway said his department will implement a system in which the city's trash supervisors and garbage drivers will report any violations they see within city limits.

Those reports will be submitted to the city's sanitation office, which will investigate reports of wrongdoing. Once a report of wrongdoing has been investigated, a report of incident will be sent to the city's code enforcement office.

"I'm a bit concerned about the enforcement part, and the notification that something's been dumped improperly," said councilman Jay Marx.

"It's my understanding that the first time the offender will know he's done something wrong is when he gets his water bill," Marx said. "That could be six weeks. I would like to see code enforcement come up with something where notification takes place prior to that."

Janway said garbage drivers will make a log of any violations they see while on their trash route. That information will be given to the city's code enforcement office.

City attorney Nanci Summersgill said the city's new ordinance will be enforced like every other code provision in the city of Monroe.

"So, if someone is not putting their garbage can up at the appropriate time, and we get a complaint on that, they will be given a notice, and written up like any other code violation in Monroe," Summersgill said. "If they keep doing it (the code violation), then they are going to get a summons to come to the environmental court."

Summersgill said the city won't be able to take action against illegal dumping unless someone provides a license plate number of a vehicle that was involved in illegal dumping.

"If someone is coming out in the middle of the night and dumping on someone's property, that will be something the environmental court will consider," she said. "I doubt someone will be fined for someone else coming onto their property and dumping."

The new ordinance allows the city to charge residents $50 to pick up garbage or other waste the city normally does not pick up, while businesses could face a $100 fine for illegal dumping.

Residents or businesses that do not pay the fee for dumping garbage the city will not pick up will see the fines doubled for every seven days thereafter.

Those who refuse to pay the fee can have their water/sewer cut off until it is paid in full. The ordinance also requires residents in the city of Monroe not to place their containers at the curb before 4 p.m. on the day prior to collection. Garbage containers also must be removed by nightfall on the day of collection.
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