Changes to the City Trash Ordinance - Fred Sanborn
These are the changes in the bulk refuse and trash collection code adopted
by City Council. The changes went into effect October 1, 2006.
GENERAL
- Types of waste must be segregated: households, yard, appliances, bulk waste, etc. §16-32(b).
- White goods: refrigerators, washers, dryers, water heaters, etc. will be collected separately. Doors must be removed from refrigerators and freezers. Pickup must be requested. §16-34(f).
- Small dead animals must be placed on the curb in a properly sealed refuse bag. §16-34(d).
- Illegal to pick through trash and make a mess. (Those Friday morning guys ‘n gals). §16-5(a).
- Break down cardboard boxes – separate, flattened, and tied – 25 pounds per bale limit. §16-34(b).
BULK REFUSE
- Bulk refuse can be put out any time the day before -- but no later than 7am on collection day. §16-36(b).
- Bulk refuse must be positioned clear of water meters, TV cable boxes, power lines, lamp posts, utility poles and tree limbs. §16-37.
- No construction or re-modeling debris generated by a contractor permitted in bulk refuse. §16-1 and §16-39 (2).
- Contractors must remove
their own debris or the homeowner has to pay the City the $150.00 administrative
fee plus the $250.00 per load charge for removal if the contractor leaves
the debris on the curb. 16-39
No hazardous materials or car parts. - Four tires per year in bulk waste - $5.00 each additional tire. Tires must be clean and rimless. §16-34(e).
- Landlords are responsible for removing tenant’s belongings from the curb within 24 hours of evictions. §16-60
YARD WASTE
- All yard waste to be in clear bags - under 25 pounds and no larger than 40 gallons. 20-bag limit. §16-32(b) & §16-34(c).
- Yard waste that is too large for 40-gallon bags must be stacked neatly at curbside. §16-35.
- No branches larger than 4 to 6 feet long. No trunks or logs larger than 18” in diameter.
- No branches, limbs, trunks and shrubbery, or other debris cut by landscapers or tree services allowed in bulk refuse. §16-35.
- Landscapers and tree trimmers must remove their own debris or the homeowner has to pay the City the $150.00 administrative fee plus the $250.00 per load charge for removal if the landscaper leaves the debris on the curb for removal. §16-35.
- No other kinds of trash
can be mixed in with yard waste. §16-32(b).
No dirt or rocks in yard waste. §16-34(c). - No yard waste may be swept or blown on to streets, curbs, gutters, or drains – including grass and leaves. §16-34(c).
TRASH RECEPTACLES AND COLLECTION
- All trash must be kept in covered receptacles. No plastic bags can be stored outside containers. §16-6(a)&(b).
- All containers must
be kept beside or behind houses. §16-36(a).
All containers must be hidden from public view. §16-10(d). - Trash containers must be located on a paved area or concrete pad. §16-10(d).
- All trash put out for collection must be in City containers – no bags of trash. §16-6(a)&(b).
- Containers may be put out after 5pm day the before but not later than 7am day of collection. Containers must be in by 7pm on collection day. §16-36(a).
- No loose paper in the trash unless it’s in a trash bag or bundled and securely tied. §16-34.
- Centralized refuse containers for developments (apartments) must be enclosed on 3 sides with a gate.16-10(f).
- No trash outside of dumpsters – dumpsters must be closed. §16-6(c).
PENALTIES AND FEES
- Penalties for Trash
Ordinance violations – including not bringing containers in when required
- 1st violation – warning.
- 2nd violation within 12 months $25.00 – added to trash bill.
- 3rd violation within 12 months - $50.00 added to trash bill. §16-2.
- Bulk Refuse Violations: $150 admin + $250 per load to remove bulk items put out. City puts lien on property if not paid. §16-31.
- Dumping trash $250.00 - $2,500.00 and/or 12 months in jail. Includes littering. §16-5.
- Rates raised to $22.00 per month per dwelling unit. §16-64.
- No exemptions or refunds from trash fees if not being used. (Extended vacations, etc.) 16-62(c).
- City roll-off container - $250.00 - but free for 1-day community clean-ups.
- Note that if you have contractors or landscapers working on your property, they must dispose of their debris properly or it may cost you a minimum of $400.00 to have the City remove it.
- As in all things in Olde Towne, enforcement is the key. Violations of these and any ordinances must be reported in order to improve neighborhood quality. Our trash inspector is Donna Corvus. Call her at: 393-8663 extension 7369 to report violations of the trash ordinance.
- A full version of the changes to the ordinance is available here.
San Diego Union-Tribune Visits Olde Towne Judith Morgan, a travel writer based in La Jolla, Calif., who often writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune, has written a travel story on Portsmouth and the surrounding Hampton Roads area. The beauty of the story is that it has a PORTSMOUTH dateline, and it leads with Morgan taking the Olde Towne Walking Tour with Col. William Crawford and his sister, Abigail. It ran Aug. 8 in the San Diego Union Tribune with a photo of the colonel and his sister. The story will likely appear in other papers throughout the country, as it went out on the Copley News Service Syndicate, and is online at copleynews.com as well as signonsandiego.com. Morgan was part of a group of writers who came to Virginia in late May to attend a conference for the Western Chapter of the Society of American Travel Writers. The group of writers arrived a few days before the start of the conference so they could tour the Hampton Roads area. After a quick afternoon tour of Norfolk, they took the ferry over from Waterside, stopped in at the Visitor Information Center for quick overview of the city, then freshened up at the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel, where they were treated to an overnight stay. After a relaxing dinner at Fusion 440, the group retired early in preparation for their early morning walking tour of Olde Towne Portsmouth with Col. William Crawford. (after being treated to the breakfast buffet at the hotel's Foggy Point Restaurant). To access the story, go to http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040808/news_1t8morgan.html
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