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City of Laconia, NH
Belknap County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Code
New Laws (2) Index
[Adopted 12-29-1975 as Ch. 35 of the Public Ordinances of 1975]
The following definitions shall apply in the interpretation and enforcement of this chapter:
ASHES
The residue of any household fuel after such fuel has been consumed by fire.
BULKY ITEM
Furniture or select metal items that cannot be handled by normal solid waste collection, therefore requiring a special collection.
[Added 9-8-2014 by Ord. No. 04.2014.04]
CITY
The City of Laconia.
COMMERCIAL
Business enterprises or activities in business with a profit motive, included are apartment buildings and condominiums containing more than three dwelling units.
[Added 3-31-1980 by Ord. No. 35-80.4]
CONTRACTOR
The grantee of rights under contract to the City of Laconia.
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS
The Director of Public Works for the City of Laconia or his representative.
GARBAGE
All rejected, abandoned or discarded household waste/organic materials, either animal or vegetable.
[Amended 5-14-2012 by Ord. No. 07.2012.07; 6-10-2013 by Ord. No. 02.2013.02]
HEALTH OFFICER
The Health Officer for the City of Laconia.
HOUSEHOLDER
Any owner, occupant, tenant or any person having, use, occupation and/or charge of any dwelling, apartment house, office building or public institution within the City of Laconia.
NONCOLLECTIBLE WASTE
Any waste or matter other than ashes, garbage and residential household rubbish and shall include the following:
A. 
Manufacturer's waste.
B. 
Any explosive or highly combustible material of any nature whatsoever.
C. 
Broken plaster, lumber or other waste or residue resulting from construction, alterations, repairs, demolition or removal of any building or structure.
D. 
Sawdust and/or shavings from commercial and/or industrial establishments.
E. 
Organic matter not properly drained or wrapped.
F. 
Liquid wastes.
G. 
Hay, straw and manure.
H. 
The carcass of any animal.
I. 
Live animals or birds.
J. 
(Reserved)[1]
K. 
The stock of any wholesaler.
L. 
All material which has become frozen to the container and cannot be removed by shaking.
M. 
Discarded motor vehicles or any other motor-propelled vehicles or parts and accessories from automotive service stations or similar establishments; and damaged or scrapped refrigerators, washing machines, dryers and/or similar commercial or household appliances.
N. 
All vehicle and equipment tires (except bicycle tires or small tires from residential equipment, such as lawn mowers or snowblowers).
[Added 12-28-1981 by Ord. No. 60-81.14]
O. 
Ashes.
[Added 5-14-2012 by Ord. No. 07.2012.07; amended 6-10-2013 by Ord. No. 02.2013.02]
P. 
Lawn, garden rakings, fallen leaves, except as allowed on specifically designated collection weeks in Spring and Fall, as approved by the Department of Public Works. All yard waste materials must be contained in paper/compostable bags.
[Added 5-14-2012 by Ord. No. 07.2012.07; amended 6-10-2013 by Ord. No. 02.2013.02]
RESIDENTIAL
A dwelling unit, such as a home, mobile home and/or trailer, or multifamily dwelling, or three or less units (single-family, duplex, triplex), not including hotels, motels, apartment buildings or condominiums.
[Added 3-31-1980 by Ord. No. 35-80.4]
RESIDENTIAL HOUSEHOLD RUBBISH
Includes household wastes such as food wastes/organic materials.
[Amended 5-14-2012 by Ord. No. 07.2012.07; 6-10-2013 by Ord. No. 02.2013.02]
STREET
Any public highway, road, street, lane, alley, square, place, thoroughfare or way within the City of Laconia.
[1]
Editor’s Note: Former Subsection J, Discarded furniture, was repealed 9-8-2014 by Ord. No. 04.2014.04.
[Amended 3-31-1980 by Ord. No. 35-80.4; 5-14-2012 by Ord. No. 07.2012.07; 10-26-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-194; 4-10-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-194.2/194.5]
A. 
Households and commercial buildings on public streets must use the City-provided containers. The containers belong to the City and will remain with the property upon sale of the property or the departure of the tenant.
B. 
Properties with a dumpster do not receive solid waste curbside collection services.
C. 
All solid waste must be placed in a container to be collected by the City's collection contractor.
D. 
City-owned public use containers. The City will place containers at various locations within the City. These containers are for the use of the general public. The use of these containers for the disposal of waste from residential or commercial buildings is prohibited.
[Amended 5-14-2012 by Ord. No. 07.2012.07; 6-10-2013 by Ord. No. 02.2013.02]
A. 
Householders shall deposit in one or more containers all material defined as garbage, and residential household rubbish.
B. 
Garbage shall be drained of all liquids and be securely wrapped and then placed in the prescribed containers.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsections C, D and E, which immediately followed and set out guidelines for preparation for collection of newspapers, magazines and other paper, cardboard cartons, crates, barrels and other containers, and clippings from trees brush and shrubs, were repealed 10-26-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-194.
A. 
Containers set out for collection shall be placed as close to the street curb as possible without obstructing the roadway or sidewalk, and, in any case, the Director of Public Works shall have the power to designate the precise point at which containers shall be placed for collection.
[Amended 10-26-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-194]
B. 
No garbage collection vehicle, under contract to or owned by the City of Laconia, shall enter a privately owned driveway, roadway or lane for the purpose of collection of garbage or residential household rubbish from privately owned property.
[Amended 5-14-2012 by Ord. No. 07.2012.07]
C. 
Containers shall be set out for collection by 6:00 a.m., local time, on the day of pickup.
[Amended 5-14-2012 by Ord. No. 07.2012.07; 10-26-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-194]
D. 
No containers shall be set out for collection before 7:00 p.m., local time on the day prior to such collection, and all containers shall be removed from the street by 7:00 p.m., local time, on the day established for collection.
[Amended 10-26-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-194]
E. 
In order to reduce litter in periods of emergency or bad weather, the Director of Public Works is authorized to make changes in collection hours, collection routes and the setting out of trash.
[Added 3-27-1978 by Ord. No. 14-78.2]
[Amended 3-31-1980 by Ord. No. 35-80.4; 5-14-2012 by Ord. No. 07.2012.07; 6-10-2013 by Ord. No. 02.2013.02]
A. 
Residential. The number of trash and recycling containers put out for collection from any single-family or duplex dwelling is limited to one per family.
[Amended 10-26-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-194; 4-10-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-194.2/194.5]
B. 
Commercial/multifamily dwellings. The number of containers placed for collection from any other premises shall not exceed four for each collection.
[Amended 10-26-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-194; 4-10-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-194.2/194.5]
C. 
(Reserved)[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection C, regarding maximum quantity, was repealed 4-10-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-194.2/194.5
D. 
Recyclables. Mandatory recycling is a program for the separation of certain recyclable materials from garbage or rubbish. The separation and removal of certain designated materials for the purpose of recycling will serve the public interest by reducing solid waste and conserving our material resources.
[Amended 10-26-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-194]
E. 
Residents on curbside collection routes must participate in mandatory recycling in order to be eligible for collection of trash.
[Amended 10-26-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-194]
F. 
Residents on private roads are invited to use remote recycling drop-off facilities at the Laconia Transfer Station.
[Amended 10-26-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-194; 4-10-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-194.2/194.5]
G. 
Recycling containers.
[Amended 9-8-2014 by Ord. No. 04.2014.04; 4-10-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-194.2/194.5]
H. 
Bulky items.
[Added 9-8-2014 by Ord. No. 04.2014.04]
(1) 
Larger items such as furniture, mattresses, box springs, carpet bundled in manageable sizes, toilets, sinks and other nonmetal items will be collected curbside on regular trash collection days if the item is affixed with a bulky item sticker purchased from the City.
(2) 
Qualifying metal items such as appliances (no TVs, computers, monitors or freon-containing items) can also be picked up by calling the Department of Public Works and finding out when the next metal item pickup day is scheduled and providing your street address. Metal items also require a bulky item sticker.
(3) 
Bulky item stickers are available for purchase from the Tax Collector, City Clerk or Department of Public Works for $8.[2]
[Amended 6-13-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-194-5]
[2]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection I, regarding curbside collection of excess residential solid waste, which immediately followed, was repealed 4-10-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-194.2/194.5.
A. 
No person shall suffer or permit within the City the accumulation or deposit upon his premises or upon lands occupied by him or under his control any garbage, animal or vegetable matter, offal, household waste or any other matter or thing which may be injurious to public health.
B. 
No person shall sweep, throw, cast, lay or deposit or suffer any agent or employee to sweep, throw, cast, lay or deposit any ashes, offal, garbage, fruit skins, cinders, straw, excelsior, store sweepings, shavings, paper, dirt, lawn rakings, broken glassware, handbills, crockery, bottles, the carcass of any animal or rubbish of any kind whatsoever in any land, alley, street or other public place; nor shall any person throw or deposit any refuse in any stream or other body of water within the City.
C. 
No person shall pick over, interfere with, disturb, remove or scatter any bundle of paper or article placed for removal, whether contained in a covered container or otherwise; provided, however, that the householder shall be permitted access to any covered contained placed by the householder for the purpose of depositing therein additional garbage in said container prior to the collection by the contractor.
[Amended 12-23-1981 by Ord. No. 60-81.14]
A. 
Noncollectible wastes, except live animals and live birds, may be disposed of at such locations as determined by the Director of Public Works.
B. 
Before receiving any noncollectible wastes at any site, the Director of Public Works shall set fees for the receipt of such waste. Such fees shall be payable in advance of receipt of such waste and shall include all costs for handling, treatment, packaging, transportation and disposal of such wastes in accordance with the latest recommended state and federal standards for disposal.
[Amended 5-14-2012 by Ord. No. 07.2012.07]
Garbage and residential household rubbish in excess of that set out in § 194-5 hereof shall be prepared for collection and shall be disposed of by and at the expense of the householder by causing the same to be delivered to the municipal incinerator or the municipal transfer station site, as directed by the Director of Public Works.
No person shall haul, convey or transport through or upon any street within the City limits any ashes, garbage, rubbish or other refuse or any noncollectible waste, except in properly covered containers or vehicles totally enclosed or covered with canvas or tarpaulins, so fastened down around the edges as to prevent any of the contents from falling upon the streets and to protect the same from flies and to prevent the escape of any offensive odors therefrom.
No collector shall be required to enter any house, apartment house or other building or ascend or descend any stairway or enter any elevator, hoist or loading platform for the purpose of collecting or removing any ashes, garbage or residential household rubbish.
[Amended 6-10-2013 by Ord. No. 02.2013.02]
A. 
It shall be the duty of the Director of Public Works and/or the Director of Code Enforcement to enforce the observance of the provisions of this chapter.
B. 
Mandatory recycling will be enforced to the fullest extent.
[Amended 10-26-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-194]
C. 
The Department of Public Works will not be responsible for removal of trash which is placed out for collection and found to be over the allowable limit or found to be uncontained, therefore deemed ineligible for collection by the contractor.
D. 
Violations will be subject to appropriate penalties as noted in § 194-12 below.
E. 
Illegal dumping of trash. Anyone found to be in violation by illegally dumping trash on public ways, in commercial or private dumpsters, and/or in or adjacent to City remote recycling drop-off containers shall be guilty of a violation penalty of $250. Such person shall be deemed to be guilty of a separate offense for each and every day during any portion of which any violation of this article is committed, continued or permitted by such person and shall be punishable therefor as provided therein.
[Amended 6-10-2013 by Ord. No. 02.2013.02]
Any person who violates any of the provisions of this article shall be guilty of a violation penalty of $250. Such person shall be deemed to be guilty of a separate offense for each and every day during any portion of which any violation of this article is committed, continued or permitted by such person and shall be punishable therefor as provided therein. Nonpayment of fines imposed will result in legal actions. Enforcement will fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Works.