[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of Montgomery Borough 10-21-1968 by Ord. No. 99 (Ch. X, Part 2, of the 1996 Code of Ordinances). Amendments noted
where applicable.]
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Montgomery
Anti-Litter Ordinance."
[Amended 12-12-1995 by Ord. No. 1995-7]
For the purpose of this chapter, the following terms, phrases,
words, and their definitions shall have the meaning given herein.
When not inconsistent with the context, words used in the present
tense include the future, words used in the plural number include
the singular number, and words used in the singular number include
the plural number. The word "shall" is always mandatory and not merely
directory.
Any contrivance now known or hereafter invented, used or
designated for navigation or for flight in the air. The word "aircraft"
shall include helicopters and lighter-than-air dirigibles and balloons.
A container, such as intended for storage of solid waste
awaiting collection and removal, made of nonabsorbent material, provided
with handles and a closely fitting cover, and capable, when filled,
of being handled by one person.
The Borough of Montgomery.
Any printed or written matter, any sample or device, dodger,
circular, leaflet, pamphlet, paper, booklet, or any other printed
or otherwise reproduced original or copies of any matter of literature:
Which advertises for sale any merchandise, product, commodity,
or thing; or
Which directs attention to any business or mercantile or commercial
establishment, or other activity, for the purpose of either directly
or indirectly promoting the interest thereof by sales; or
Which, while containing reading matter other than advertising
matter, is predominantly and essentially an advertisement, and is
distributed or circulated for advertising purposes, or for the private
benefit and gain of any person so engaged as advertiser or distributor.
Putrescible animal and vegetable wastes resulting from the
handling, preparation, cooking and consumption of food.
Garbage, refuse, and rubbish as defined herein and all other
waste material which, if thrown or deposited as herein prohibited,
tends to create a danger to public health, safety and welfare.
Any newspaper of general circulation as defined by general
law, any newspaper duly entered with the United States Postal Service,
in accordance with federal statute or regulation, and any newspaper
filed and recorded with any recording officer as provided by general
law; and, in addition, "newspaper" shall mean and include any periodical
or current magazine regularly published with not less than four issues
per year, and sold to the public.
Any printed or written matter, any sample or device, dodger,
circular, leaflet, pamphlet, newspaper, magazine, paper, booklet,
or any other printed or otherwise reproduced original or copies of
any matter of literature not included in the aforesaid definitions
of a commercial handbill or newspaper.
A park, reservation, playground, beach, recreation center
or any other public area in the Borough, owned or used by the Borough
and devoted to active or passive recreation.
Any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation,
company or organization of any kind.
Any dwelling, house, building, or other structure, designed
or used either wholly or in part for private residential purposes,
whether inhabited or temporarily or continuously uninhabited or vacant,
and steps, vestibule, or mailbox belonging or appurtenant to such
dwelling, house, building or other structure.
Any and all streets, sidewalks, alleys or other public ways
and any and all public parks, squares, spaces, grounds and buildings.
All putrescible and nonputrescible solid wastes (except body
wastes), including garbage, rubbish, ashes, street cleanings, dead
animals, abandoned automobiles, and solid market and industrial wastes.
Nonputrescible solid wastes consisting of both combustible
and noncombustible wastes, such as paper, wrappings, cigarettes, cardboard,
tin cans, yard clippings, leaves, wood, glass, bedding, crockery,
and similar materials.
Every device in, upon, or by which any person or property
is or may be transported or drawn upon a highway, including devices
used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks.
No person shall throw or deposit litter in or upon any street,
sidewalk or other public place within the Borough except in public
receptacles, or in authorized private receptacles for collection.
Persons placing litter in public receptacles or in authorized
private receptacles shall do so in such a manner as to prevent it
from being carried or deposited by the elements upon any street, sidewalk
or other public place or upon private property.
No person shall sweep into or deposit in any gutter, street
or other public place within the Borough the accumulation of litter
from any building or lot or from any public or private sidewalk or
driveway. Persons owning or occupying property shall keep the sidewalk
in front of their premises free of litter.
No person owning or occupying a place of business shall sweep
into or deposit in any gutter, street or other public place within
the Borough the accumulation of litter from any building or lot or
from any public or private sidewalk or driveway. Persons owning or
occupying places of business within the Borough shall keep the sidewalk
in front of their business premises free of litter.
No person, while a driver or passenger in a vehicle, shall throw
or deposit litter upon any street or other public place within the
Borough, or upon private property.
No person shall drive or move any truck or other vehicle within
the Borough unless such vehicle is so constructed or loaded as to
prevent any load, contents or litter from being blown or deposited
upon any street, alley or other public place. Nor shall any person
drive or move any vehicle or truck within the Borough the wheels or
tires of which carry onto or deposit in any street, alley or other
public place, mud, dirt, sticky substances, litter or foreign matter
of any kind.
No person shall throw or deposit litter in any fountain, pond,
lake, stream, bay or any other body of water in a park or elsewhere
within the Borough.
No person shall throw or deposit any commercial or noncommercial
handbill in or upon any sidewalk, street or other public place within
the Borough. Nor shall any person hand out or distribute or sell any
commercial handbill in any public place. Provided, however, that it
shall not be unlawful on any sidewalk, street, or other public place
within the Borough for any person to hand out or distribute, without
charge to the receiver thereof, any noncommercial handbill to any
person willing to accept it.
No person shall throw or deposit any commercial or noncommercial
handbill in or upon any vehicle. Provided, however, that it shall
not be unlawful in any public place for a person to hand out or distribute,
without charge to the receiver thereof, a noncommercial handbill to
any occupant of a vehicle who is willing to accept it.
No person shall throw or deposit any commercial or noncommercial
handbill in or upon any private premises which are temporarily or
continuously uninhabited or vacant.
No person shall throw, deposit or distribute any commercial
or noncommercial handbill upon any private premises, if requested
by anyone thereon not to do so, or if there is placed on said premises
in a conspicuous position near the entrance thereof, a sign bearing
the words: No Trespassing, No Peddlers or Agents, No Advertisement,
or any similar notice, indicating in any manner that the occupants
of said premises do not desire to be molested or have their right
of privacy disturbed, or to have any such handbills left upon such
premises.
No person shall throw, deposit or distribute any commercial
or noncommercial handbill in or upon private premises which are inhabited,
except by handing or transmitting any such handbill directly to the
owner, occupant, or other person then present in or upon such private
premises. Provided, however, that in case of inhabited private premises
which are not posted, as provided in this chapter, such person, unless
requested by anyone upon such premises not to do so, may place or
deposit any such handbill in or upon such inhabited private premises,
if such handbill is so placed or deposited as to secure or prevent
such handbill from being blown or drifted about such premises or sidewalks,
streets, or other public places, and except that mailboxes may not
be so used when so prohibited by federal postal law or regulations.
A.
Exemption for mail and newspapers. The provisions of this section
shall not apply to the distribution of mail by the United States,
nor to newspapers (as defined herein), except that newspapers shall
be placed on private property in such a manner as to prevent their
being carried or deposited by the elements upon any street, sidewalk
or other public place or upon private property.
No person in an aircraft shall throw out, drop or deposit within
the Borough any litter, handbill or any other object.
No person shall post or affix any notice, poster, or other paper
or device, calculated to attract attention of the public, to any lamp
post, public utility pole or shade tree, or upon any public structure
or building, except as may be authorized or required by law.
No person shall throw or deposit litter on any occupied private
property within the Borough, whether owned by such person or not,
except that the owner or person in control of private property may
maintain authorized private receptacles for collection in such a manner
that litter will be prevented from being carried or deposited by the
elements upon any street, sidewalk or other public place or upon any
private property.
The owner or person in control of any private property shall,
at all times, maintain the premises free of litter. Provided, however,
that this section shall not prohibit the storage of litter in authorized
private receptacles for collection.
No person shall throw or deposit litter on any open or vacant
private property within the Borough whether owned by such person or
not.
[Amended 12-12-1995 by Ord. No. 1995]
A.
Notice to remove. The Borough Health Officer or any member of the
Police Department is hereby authorized and empowered to notify the
owner of any open or vacant private property within the Borough or
the agent of such owner to properly dispose of litter located on such
owner's property which is dangerous to public health, safety
or welfare. Such notice shall be by certified mail, addressed to said
owner at his last known address.
B.
Action upon noncompliance. Upon the failure, neglect or refusal of any owner or agent so notified, to properly dispose of litter dangerous to the public health, safety or welfare within three days after receipt of written notice provided for in Subsection A above, or within 18 days after the date of such notice in the event the same is returned to the Montgomery Post Office because of its inability to make delivery thereof, provided the same was properly addressed to the last known address of such owner, or agent, the Borough Council is authorized and empowered to pay for the disposing of such litter.
C.
Costs to be charged to owner. When the Borough has effected the removal
of such dangerous litter or has paid for its removal, the actual cost
thereof, plus accrued interest at the rate of 6% per annum from the
date of the completion of the work, if not paid by such owner prior
thereto, shall be charged to the owner of such property.
D.
Recorded statement constitutes lien. Where the full amount due the Borough is not paid by such owner within 30 days after the disposal of such litter, as provided for in Subsections A and B above, then and in that case, the Borough Solicitor shall cause to be recorded a sworn statement showing the cost and expense incurred for the work, the date the work was done and the location of the property on which said work was done. The recordation of such sworn statement shall constitute a lien and privilege on the property, and shall remain in full force and effect for the amount due in principal and interest, plus costs of court, if any, for collection, until final payment has been made. Said costs and expenses shall be collected in the manner fixed by law for the collection of taxes and further shall be subject to a delinquent penalty of 10% in the event same is not paid in full on or before the date due. Sworn statements recorded in accordance with the provisions hereof shall be prima facie evidence that all legal formalities have been complied with and that the work has been done properly and satisfactorily, and shall be full notice to every person concerned that the amount of the statement, plus interest, constitutes a charge against the property designated or described in the statement and that the same is due and collectible as provided by law.
[Amended 12-12-1995 by Ord. No. 1995-7]
Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall
be guilty of an offense and, upon conviction, for every such violation,
shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $25 nor more than
$600 and costs and, in default of payment of fine and costs, to undergo
imprisonment for not more than 30 days. Provided: each day on which
any such violation continues or is permitted to continue shall constitute
a separate offense.
