Brewster takes measures to address excess garbage

BREWSTER – Complaints from residents about garbage piling up around disposal containers insufficient to handle the excess spurred the Brewster City Council to take action as its regular monthly meeting on August 17.

The council passed Ordinance 954 amending chapter 8.08 of the Brewster Municipal Code (BMC) that adds a civil infraction penalty for those who fail to comply with the BMC requirements.

City garbage is addressed under Title 8 Health and Safety in Chapter 8.08 Garbage Collection and Disposal. Under the previous code, Section 8.08.080, Additional charges for noncompliance, specified that in cases of garbage improperly contained or staged for loading the city “may collect and remove such garbage and, in such case, the entire expense of the collection and removal thereof shall be charged against such premises and against the owner or occupant thereof in addition to the regular charge for collection and disposal…” 

Section 8.08.120, Violation-Penalty, further stated that “Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a civil infraction and shall be subject to a monetary penalty…” but did not specify a penalty amount.

As of August 22, the amended Section 8.08.120 approved by the council adds some teeth to the code by revising the section with a specific dollar amount, $500. It now reads:

Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a civil infraction and shall be subject to a monetary penalty of five hundred dollars ($500). Each day the violation continues following issuance of the civil infraction shall constitute a new violation for the purposes of this Section.

The city discussed the garbage problem at its previous meeting and requested city attorney Chuck Zimmerman to bring back the stiffer ordinance.

“What we are dealing with mostly are people who have too much garbage and not enough containers, “ said Zimmerman.

Most of the people we deal with…have household garbage,” said clerk/treasurer Misty Ruiz. “When you have household garbage and you put out the dogs get into it and spread it around. Then it’s a neighbor’s issue and the neighbors come in and complain about it. That’s the reason it came up.”

“The whole idea is not to raise money through fines,” explained Zimmerman, “it’s to educate people through regulation.”

The city’s hope is that the high cost of garbage education will bring about changes in behavior.

Mike Maltais: 360-333-8483, mike@ward.media