City Code, ExplainedBetaPardon our dust while we build this out — expect some changes along the way.

This chapter sets the rules for collecting, hauling, and disposing of garbage, trash, and recyclable materials in the City, including hauler permits, collection vehicle standards, mandatory recycling, construction dumpster permits, and outdoor burning restrictions.

Who this affects

It affects commercial trash and recycling haulers who must be permitted and insured to operate in the City, and residents and property owners, who must use the City's contracted hauler, separate recyclables, and follow rules on waste placement, accumulation, and burning.

Key rules

• Haulers must obtain a Board permit for each vehicle, showing a business privilege license, insurance ($50,000/$100,000 property damage, $100,000/$300,000 public liability), vehicle registration/inspection, and proof of dumping at a DEP-permitted disposal site.
• Collection vehicles may not exceed 13 1/2 feet in height, must be identified with owner name, address, phone number, and waste type in letters at least six inches high, and must carry a current fire extinguisher.
• Permits run from June 1 to May 31 and cost $100 per vehicle, with $10 transfer fees and a $50 late-licensing fee after December 1.
• Loaded vehicles without an enclosed body must be covered with a secured tarpaulin except while actively loading or unloading.
• Loaded/covered collection vehicles may not park within 500 feet of an occupied residential structure, and face time limits on street parking depending on load status and time of day.
• The City operates a mandatory recycling program for items including aluminum cans, glass, metal, leaf waste, plastic, newspaper, and high-grade office paper; mixing recyclables or leaf waste with household waste is prohibited.
• Recycling and waste receptacles may be placed at the curb no earlier than 5:00 p.m. the day before collection and must be removed by 7:00 p.m. on collection day; only the permitted hauler may collect curbside materials, and scavenging is prohibited.
• Construction waste containers on City streets require a permit (up to two two-week terms), reflective markings, protective wood pads under wheels, company identification, and may not be placed or removed between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
• All residential properties must use the City's contracted hauler and pay assessed fees; solid waste may not accumulate on a parcel for more than 14 days unless enclosed.
• Dumping waste, tires, or clean fill on property not owned or lawfully occupied by the person, including City-owned land at 425 E. Railroad Street, is prohibited without consent.
• Open burning of solid waste, recyclables, yard waste, and construction debris is prohibited, though limited recreational fires and permitted bonfires (no larger than 5 by 5 feet, burning no more than three hours, attended at all times) are allowed under Fire Chief permit.

Penalties

Violations of the general hauler/collection article (Article I) carry fines up to $600 plus costs or up to 90 days imprisonment, with permit revocation on a second conviction. Recycling violations (Article II) range from $10 to $50 for repeated offenses under most provisions, but up to $600 plus costs or 90 days imprisonment for unauthorized collection or improper recycling disposal. Construction container violations (Article III) carry fines up to $600 plus costs or up to 30 days imprisonment, with each day a separate offense. Under Article IV, general violations carry fines up to $250 or up to 15 days imprisonment per offense, with each day a separate offense; a first violation of the property-dumping rule (§189-35) carries a fine up to $1,500, and two or more violations within five years are a misdemeanor punishable by $2,500 to $3,000.

Notable and archaic details

• Unpaid solid waste fees can become a lien on the property, including attorney's fees and collection costs.
• Items placed at the curb for collection become the legal property of the permitted hauler, and unauthorized collection during the 24 hours before pickup is a distinct offense.
• Residents may donate or sell recyclable newsprint and aluminum cans to others, but not if the materials are placed at the curb for collection.