Updated Adrian city trash ordinance sets times for putting totes at curb
ADRIAN — There was no fanfare or public response when the Adrian City Commission recently approved amendments to its trash and recycling ordinance.
All of the commissioners were present for the Sep. 19 meeting and voted in support of the ordinance amendments, which Adrian City Administrator Greg Elliott said clarify when trash receptacles should be removed from the curb and brought back to a residence after trash and recycling has been picked up.
For nearly two months, the commission has been gauging the public’s understanding of its new residential trash and recycling service with Stevens Disposal and Recycling Service, which supplies two 96-gallon totes to Adrian residents — one tote for garbage and the other tote for recycling. The new service with Stevens went into effect July 6.
During this period of residents adjusting to the new trash service, an issue the commission has been keeping tabs on has been the number of totes left out at the curb and the length of time it takes for some of the totes to be hauled back from the street. Some commissioners have noted during previous meetings instances where totes have never been removed from the curb since they were delivered in June by Stevens.
The ordinance, which was approved during the commission’s most recent meeting, addresses when totes must be removed from the curb and where they must be stored when not in use.
The following is the approved language:
Refuse shall be set out for pickup on the city right-of-way on city streets only. Refuse shall be placed at the curb for pickup no earlier than 6 p.m. of the day preceding service and shall be removed from the curb no later than 8 p.m. on the day of the service.
While on private property, all refuse and recycling containers shall be stored in a building, fenced enclosure or behind the front line of the dwelling unit.
All refuse shall be set out for collection in approved containers, as designated by the city engineer.
Grease, garbage and other such types of material shall be placed in another airtight case, tied plastic bag or carton before being placed in a dumpster.
Adrian has trash collection on Tuesdays, meaning trash totes should be placed to the curb after 6 p.m. Monday and should be removed no later than 8 p.m. on the Tuesday service day. Elliott said Adrian code enforcement officials will be making their morning rounds the Wednesday immediately following trash pickup and will tag trash totes still left out at the road with a warning sticker.
The sticker, Elliott said, will be placed over the lip of the tote’s lid, which will inhibit the lid from being opened unless the sticker is ripped off. The sticker should serve as a first notice to residents that something must be done about the tote.
If nothing is done about the tote even after being tagged, the next step in the process, Elliott said, would be a citation charged to the resident or the homeowner.
Since the city approved the ordinance amendments and language changes at its Sept. 19 meeting, the ordinance was published Sept. 23. According to city of Adrian and Michigan state law, the ordinance will be enforced 10 days after its publication, meaning the ordinance goes into effect Tuesday, Oct. 4, which is trash pickup day.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Adrian City Commission approves trash ordinance updates
