Date: Fri 09-Jul-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

anti-littering-ordinance

Full Text:

Hearing Set On Anti-Littering Ordinance

BY STEVE BIGHAM

The Legislative Council will hold a Wednesday, July 21 public hearing to hear

comments from residents on a proposed anti-litter ordinance. The hearing will

take place in the meeting room of the Cyrenius Booth Library at 7:30 pm.

The new ordinance is based on the assumption that the best way to clean up the

landscape is to prevent litter from being tossed there in the first place. It

helps to fill the gaps left by a state anti-litter ordinance which covers

state property and state roads only. That state statute does not deal with

local roads or municipal property, and, according to many residents, is not

enough of a deterrent for would-be litterbugs.

"This ordinance also plugs an enforcement hole," noted ordinance committee

chairman Will Rodgers.

Currently, police are only authorized to write tickets for violations to the

state statute. The proposed ordinance would give Newtown its own authority to

establish and assess fines for littering.

In addition to local law enforcement officials, the ordinance would also

empower town building and health officials to cite those who choose to throw

trash on the ground rather than in a garbage can. At first, those town

officials were hesitant about what they perceived as an added responsibility.

"That was a concern voiced by the building inspectors. It's not an additional

duty, but they have the authority should they want to use it. Police will be

the primary enforcement," Mr Rodgers said.

The ordinance was requested three years ago by residents of New Lebbon Road

who had become fed up with the illegal dumping that took place along their

road. Dumping is a major component of the proposed ordinance and dumping

violators will incur a $500 fine.

The ordinance also seeks to halt debris and litter from falling off trucks,

especially those headed for the landfill. The litter ordinance would also

restrict trucks with dirty tires from traveling on local roadways.

The ordinance also seeks to protect bodies of water, private property, vacant

property and just about any place other than a trash container. Simple

littering will cost violators $90, payable to the Board of Selectmen.

According to the proposed ordinance, the selectmen are empowered to appoint a

litter enforcement agent who will carry out the provisions of the ordinance. A

complaint form will be available in the town clerk's office for citizens who

wish to file litter complaints.

In order to aid in the disposition of litter in Newtown, all owners of

commercial/retail property, which could cause a litter problem, are required

to locate covered trash containers throughout their parking lots under the

proposed ordinance. Each of these owners is required to have the name of the

person responsible to abate any litter nuisances on file with the town clerk's

office.

Removing litter from open space or vacant land is also covered in the

ordinance. Those property owners whose property is littered will be contacted.

If they do not comply, the town would have the authority to clean up the

litter and send the bill (with an eight percent interest charge) to the owner.