Exciting enhancements are coming soon to eCode360! Learn more 🡪
Town of Greenport, NY
Columbia County
By using eCode360 you agree to be legally bound by the Terms of Use. If you do not agree to the Terms of Use, please do not use eCode360.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Greenport as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Dumps and dumping — See Ch. 65.
Junkyards — See Ch. 78.
Littering — See Ch. 83.
[Adopted 2-1-1989 by L.L. No. 1-1989[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This local law superseded former Ch. 72, Garbage, Rubbish and Refuse, adopted 7-1-1970 by L.L. No. 1-1970, as amended.
For the purposes of this article, the following terms shall have the meanings stated in this section:
ALUMINUM
Pure aluminum in any form, including but not limited to cans, cooking utensils, aluminum foil and lawn furniture.
BLUE BOX
The container to be used for placement of recyclable materials for collection by the District. "Blue box" shall refer to the container available from the Town of Greenport, as well as any other container approved for such use by regulation of the Supervisor.
BRUSH
Tree branches not exceeding two inches in diameter, twigs and shrub and hedge clippings.
BULK ITEMS
Large items and materials, including furniture (other than aluminum yard furniture), house furnishings and large appliances, such as refrigerators, stoves, washing machines and clothes dryers, and automobile or other motor vehicle tires.
COLLECTIBLE YARD WASTES
Grass, leaves and waste plant and dirt materials from vegetable and flower gardens, lawns and yards, and brush.
CORRUGATED CARDBOARD
Cardboard shipping containers.
DISTRICT
The Solid Waste District of the Town of Greenport.
INDUSTRIAL WASTE
Waste generated by any industrial process or operation.
NEWSPAPERS
Newsprint. It does not include glossy magazines or materials.
PERSON
One or more individuals; any partnership, corporation, firm, association, trust, estate or governmental entity; and any other entity whatsoever.
RECYCLABLE MATERIALS
Clear (flint), green and brown glass bottles, jugs and jars; aluminum, copper, stainless steel and brass; newspapers; corrugated cardboard; tin cans; and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) containers, such as those used for milk, oil, detergents, apple cider, etc. Recyclable materials does not include plate glass, broken glass, window glass or any other type of glass not specified in this definition nor recyclable materials unsuitable for recycling because of secondary household use.
REFUSE
The rubbish, recyclable materials and collectible yard wastes resulting from the normal, day-to-day operation of a household or business. Refuse may be generated by a household, a business establishment or a public or quasipublic facility. Refuse does not include rubble, bulk items, industrial waste or any other material not covered under this definition.
RUBBISH
Food wastes, including but not limited to table cleanings, fruit, vegetable and animal parings and scraps, decaying or spoiled vegetable, animal and fruit matter and fallen fruit; any paper, plastic, cardboard or other material used to wrap, cover or contain food, other than certain HDPE or glass containers defined in this section as "recyclable materials," and any other household waste resulting from the use, consumption and preparation of food; metal (other than pure aluminum, copper, stainless steel or brass); and miscellaneous waste material, including rags, drugs, health aids and materials, sweepings, excelsior, rubber, leather, cloth, clothing, magazines, paper (other than newspapers), waste materials from normal maintenance and repair activities, pasteboard, crockery, shells, dirt, filth, ashes, wood, glass (other than certain glass bottles, jugs and jars defined in this section as "recyclable wastes"); brick and any other similar waste material. Rubbish does not include recyclable materials, bulk items, rubble or any other material not covered under this definition.
RUBBLE
Waste material typically resulting from construction, demolition and major renovation activities, including but not limited to waste cement, concrete, masonry, bricks, tiles, sheetrock, plaster, shingles, lumber, telephone poles, railroad ties, wooden pallets, doors and door frames, windows and window frames and any similar material.
SUPERVISOR
The Supervisor of the Town of Greenport.
A. 
The District shall be responsible for collecting on a regular basis only those waste materials that constitute refuse.
B. 
The District shall also be responsible for collecting any additional waste materials that the Supervisor may announce will be collected on particular days or during particular time periods. These additional waste materials may include, for example, bulk items, trees, tree stumps and large branches. The District shall be responsible for collecting any such additional waste materials only on the days or during the time periods announced by the Supervisor.
C. 
The District shall not be responsible for collecting any waste materials that have been placed or prepared in ways that do not comply with all the provisions of this article. In particular, the District shall not be responsible for collecting waste materials consisting of recyclable and nonrecyclable materials mixed together or recyclable materials which have not been placed or prepared in accord with this article.
A. 
No person shall place any waste materials at or near any curb, sidewalk, alley or street for purposes of collection by the District other than the following:
(1) 
Refuse.
(2) 
On particular days or during particular time periods, any other waste material that the Supervisor has announced the District will collect at those times.
B. 
No person shall place any rubbish at or near any curb, sidewalk or street for purposes of collection by the District unless that person complies with the following requirements:
(1) 
Each person shall provide and utilize disposable plastic bags for disposal of rubbish. Any such bag shall be at least 1.5 mils thick and sufficiently strong to contain the materials enclosed. When filled, each such bag shall be securely tied and weigh no more than 30 pounds.
(2) 
Each person may utilize separate containers for disposal of bagged rubbish. Any such container shall be made of metal, plastic or other suitable material, shall have tight-fitting covers, shall have handles on the top and sides and shall be shaped so that all materials flow freely when the container is dumped. No such container shall exceed 32 gallons in capacity; and, when filled, no such container shall weigh more than 30 pounds.
(3) 
Each bag of rubbish placed for collection shall be free of recyclable materials and other materials not covered under the definition of "rubbish."
C. 
No person shall place any collectible yard wastes at or near any curb, sidewalk or street for purposes of collection by the District unless that person complies with the following requirements:
(1) 
For purposes of disposing of collectible yard waste other than brush, each person shall provide and utilize plastic bags that meet the requirements of Subsection B(1) of this section.
(2) 
Each person shall securely tie brush in bundles, with no individual bundle exceeding 48 inches in length or 30 pounds in weight. No person shall put out more than two much bundles of brush for any one collection by the District.
D. 
No person shall place any recyclable materials at or near any curb, sidewalk or street for purposes of collection by the District unless that person satisfies the following requirements:
(1) 
Recyclable materials shall be placed separately from other refuse placed for collection by the District.
(2) 
Newspapers shall be piled and securely tied in bundles, with no individual bundle weighing more than 30 pounds; or newspapers shall be placed in paper bags strong enough to contain them.
(3) 
Newspapers shall not contain magazines, glossy advertising material frequently inserted in newspapers or any other waste type of paper.
(4) 
Newspapers shall be kept dry by appropriate means until they are collected by the District.
(5) 
Glass bottles, jugs and jars shall be rinsed of original contents and shall have all neck rings, foil or other metal removed. Paper labels may be left on bottles, jugs and jars.
(6) 
Tin cans and HDPE containers shall be rinsed of original contents. Paper labels may be left on such containers.
(7) 
Recyclable glass, tin cans and HDPE containers shall be placed in one or more blue boxes.
(8) 
All recyclable aluminum, copper, stainless steel and brass shall be pure and clean. Items consisting of mixed or composite metals are not recyclable. Any fabric on lawn furniture shall be removed before the aluminum is placed for recycling. Recyclable metals shall be placed in one or more blue boxes for collection.
(9) 
Corrugated cardboard shall be flattened, folded and securely tied in bundles no larger than 36 inches by 36 inches in size and weighing no more than 30 pounds.
(10) 
Corrugated cardboard shall be kept dry by appropriate means until it is collected by the District.
(11) 
Newspaper and corrugated cardboard shall not be mixed together and shall be placed adjacent to or on top of the blue box for collection.
(12) 
Glass, tin cans, HDPE containers, aluminum and other recyclable metals may be placed, unsorted, in one or more blue boxes for collection.
(13) 
No materials other than recyclable materials prepared in accordance with this section shall be placed in a blue box for collection.
E. 
When the Supervisor has announced that waste materials other than refuse will be collected on particular days or during particular periods, any person placing such waste materials at or near any curb, sidewalk or street for purposes of collection by the District shall comply with the following:
(1) 
The waste material shall be of the type announced by the Supervisor.
(2) 
The waste material shall be placed for collection at the times specified by the Supervisor.
(3) 
The waste material shall be collected, bound, contained, placed or otherwise treated in the manner specified by the Supervisor.
F. 
Refuse, as well as any other waste material that the Supervisor announces will be collected, shall be placed for collection by the District at or near a curb, sidewalk, alley or street after 7:00 p.m. on the day before that designated for collection. There will be no callbacks to collect refuse or any other wastes that are placed for collection after 7:30 a.m. on the designated collection day.
G. 
No person shall place any waste material at or near any curb, sidewalk or street other than the curb, sidewalk or street immediately in front of the property from which such waste material was generated.
H. 
The placement of any waste material at or near any curb, sidewalk or street, other than in compliance with the provisions of this section, shall constitute a violation of this article.
[Added 2-2-1994 by L.L. No. 1-1994]
A. 
Prior to collection and removal of refuse from any property as provided or permitted by this article, all refuse shall be stored:
(1) 
Inside a building, garage, shed or other structure;
(2) 
At a one- or two-family residence, outdoors in closed bags or refuse containers with tight-fitting lids; or
(3) 
At other than a one- or two-family residence, including all commercial facilities, in closed bags or refuse containers with tight-fitting lids stored in an enclosed area which complies with the following requirements:
(a) 
The area shall be enclosed on all four sides by a fence and/or walls of a structure.
(b) 
The height of the enclosure shall at all points exceed the height of the refuse containers stored therein by at least six inches.
(c) 
The bottom of the enclosure shall at all points have not more than two inches of clearance to the ground.
(d) 
The enclosure shall have no vertical or horizontal openings greater than 3 1/2 inches.
B. 
All refuse shall be stored in closed plastic bags or metal, plastic or rubber containers, including but not limited to garbage cans, trash bins and dumpsters, appropriately secured or covered so as to prevent litter and to minimize attraction of animals, rodents, vermin or other pests.
C. 
The requirements of this section as to storage of refuse shall not apply to any bags or containers of refuse placed outdoors for a period not exceeding 12 continuous hours for the purpose of removal and disposal of the refuse in such containers.
D. 
The storage of any refuse other than in compliance with the requirements of this section shall constitute a violation of this article.
All empty refuse containers and any other empty waste containers shall be removed from the curb, sidewalk, alley or street where they have been placed as soon as possible after collection by the District and, in any event, no later than 6:00 p.m. on the same day as collection. Empty refuse containers or other empty waste containers remaining at or near the curb, sidewalk or street on the day after collection may be picked up and disposed of by the District.
Where the District has not collected certain refuse and/or waste material because those materials were not placed or prepared in accord with the provisions of this article, the person who placed such materials for collection or the owner of the real property adjoining the curb, sidewalk, street or alley where such waste materials were placed shall remove those wastes from that location as soon as possible after the District has refused collection and, in any event, by 6:00 p.m. of the designated collection day. The failure to remove any uncollected waste material by 6:00 p.m. of the designated collection day shall constitute a violation of this article.
A. 
Whenever a person places refuse or other waste material at or near a curb, sidewalk, alley or street for collection by the District without complying with all the provisions of this article or fails to comply with Section 93.5, the District may do either of the following:
(1) 
The District may choose not to collect the refuse or other waste material. In such a case the District shall affix a notice to the waste material which gives the reason why the District did not collect that material. The District may also notify the property owner of the property from which such uncollected waste material was generated why the District did not collect that material. That notice shall be either verbal or written, as the District determines is appropriate, and shall be provided as soon as feasible after the District refuses to collect that material; or
(2) 
The District may collect the refuse or other waste material, notwithstanding the fact that it does not comply with the provisions of this article. In such cases, effective March 1, 1989, the District shall assess a special service charge against the owner of the property from which such waste material was generated. Such special service charge shall be in the amount of $15, plus $5 for each bag of waste material removed by the District. Special service charges shall be accumulated and shall be billed semiannually with the water bills of the Town of Greenport. Any person subject to such charges may request a hearing within 15 days after the date of the bill for such charges. All hearings shall be on a date and time and at a place determined by the Supervisor. The hearing shall be informal and held before the Supervisor or his designee. The decision of the Supervisor shall be final. Any service charges not paid by the due date or within 30 days after the Supervisor's decision shall become a lien upon the real property, superior to any other lien or claim except the lien of an existing tax assessment or charge imposed by the Town of Greenport.
B. 
Whenever refuse or other waste material has been placed for collection by the District after 7:30 a.m. on the day of collection, the District may, in its own discretion, determine to respond positively or negatively to a request by the property owner of the property from which such waste was generated that the District return to such property and collect that waste material. When the District agrees to return to the property and collect that material, it shall assess a special service charge against that property owner in accord with Subsection A(2) of this section.
C. 
For any nonscheduled collection of waste material by the District, the District shall assess a special service charge against the responsible property owner. Such special collection charge shall be in accord with the provisions of Subsection A(2) of this section.
From the time any person places any properly prepared recyclable materials at or near any curb, sidewalk, alley or street for purposes of collection by the District, those recyclable materials shall become and be the property of the Town of Greenport or its authorized agent. No person who is not acting under authority of the Town or its authorized agent shall collect, pick up, remove or cause to be collected, picked up or removed any recyclable materials so placed for collection. Each such unauthorized collection, pick up or removal shall constitute a separate violation of this article.
Nothing in this article shall be deemed to prevent any person from entering into a contractual agreement with a private waste hauler for the removal of refuse and other waste materials generated by that person or at property owned by that person.
The Supervisor is authorized to establish an appropriate mechanism for selling or facilitating the sale or distribution of blue boxes for recyclable materials.
[Added 10-2-1996 by L.L. No. 5-1996[1]]
A. 
Outdoor burning of refuse, rubbish, garbage, trash, junk or waste materials of any kind, including but not limited to paper and paper products; rags; trees or leaves, needles and branches therefrom; vines; lawn and garden debris; household waste; cartons; wood; sawdust and demolition materials; incinerator residue; street sweepings; dead animals; offal; liquid waste material; furniture; cans; crockery; plastics; chemicals; paint; petroleum products; tires; and vehicles or parts thereof, shall not be permitted within 200 feet of any property line in the Town of Greenport.
B. 
Outdoor burning shall mean and include any outdoor fire or outdoor smoke-producing process from which air contaminants are emitted directly into the outdoor atmosphere.
C. 
Burning for the following purposes shall not be construed to violate this section: fireplaces, woodburning stoves, barbecue grills, and commercial incinerators for which the required approvals have been obtained.
D. 
Fines.
(1) 
Any person or entity committing an offense against this section, as well as the owner and any occupant of the property in question, shall be guilty of a violation of this chapter and shall be subject to a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $250 per offense, which shall be enforceable by action brought by the Town.
(2) 
Each day such offense continues shall constitute a separate and distinct offense hereunder.
E. 
In addition, or as an alternative to the above-provided fine, the Town Board may maintain an action or proceeding in the name of the Town in a court of competent jurisdiction to compel compliance with, or to restrain by injunction, the violation of this section. In any such proceeding, the property owner or occupant, if a violation of this section is found to have occurred, shall be responsible for paying the Town's attorneys' fees.
F. 
In any action taken to enforce this section, it shall he presumed that the owner and any occupant of the property upon which the burning takes place shall have knowledge of and shall have consented to any burning activity.
[1]
Editor's Note: This local law also provided for the renumbering of former §§ 72-10, Adoption and enforcement of regulations; 72-11, Fees; and 72-12, Penalties for offenses, as §§ 72-11, 72-12 and 72-13, respectively.
The Supervisor shall have authority to adopt whatever regulations are consistent with this article and to continue to enforce any existing regulations that are consistent with this article.
The Town Board of the Town of Greenport may, by resolution, impose fees for the collection of any refuse (other than recyclable materials), rubble, bulk items or industrial waste. After any such fees are imposed, the manner of implementation and collection shall be by regulation of the Supervisor not inconsistent with the terms of the resolution imposing such fees.
A. 
Any person who commits a violation of this article shall be punished as follows: by imprisonment for a term not exceeding 15 days or by a fine not exceeding $250, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
B. 
Each commission of a single act shall constitute a separate violation of this article, and each day of such violation shall constitute a separate offense, which may be punished and prosecuted as such.