Mayor Mark Senter is seeing a recurring issue in the city and he’s asking residents to help resolve the issue.
Senter said, “Recently, I have seen numerous city trash totes sitting on and blocking city sidewalks.” The Mayor continued, “There is currently not an ordinance about hiding or putting your tote closer to a residence and I really see no need for that. However, we do have an ordinance that regulates the obstruction of sidewalks, alleys, streets and terraces.”
The ordinance it titled “OBSTRUCTING STREETS WITH GOODS, RUBBISH PROHIBITED.”
The ordinance states, “It shall be unlawful for any person to obstruct or allow to become obstructed any street, alley, sidewalk, crosswalk or public place within the city by placing, piling or displaying any goods, wares, merchandise, rubbish, or ashes or any other obstruction. Other unpermitted items include any box, barrel, bale, sign, post, marker or any other kind of goods or materials that would be an obstruction on the sidewalks, streets or terraces between the sidewalks and the curb line of the streets.
The ordinance continues by saying, “By occupying more than one-fourth of the sidewalk, for the deposit of goods, wares or merchandise in the course of receipt or delivery, for a longer period of time than 2 hours is prohibited.”
The City understands that in some neighborhoods the trash tote has to go on the sidewalk for weekly pickup by the automated trash hauler. However, sometime after the morning pickup the tote should at least be removed from the sidewalk.
Mayor Senter warned citizens, “I have asked Code Enforcement Patrolman Steve DeLee to begin enforcing this ordinance starting with verbal reminders.”
