New City Ordinance

[Nosmo]

A few years ago my city sold its landfill to a private operator. The city still picks up trash and beginning this month has raised the rates from $8.50 to $10.00 per month which seems reasonable.

Along with this new rate our city council passed several new rates and a new law. Before passage it was unlawful to burn outside within the city limits -- brush, limbs and stumps were supposed to be hauled by the homeowner to the dump and the dump fees are expensive.

The new law states organic material can be burned outside but the fire marshal must inspect the materials and approve them and the safety of others nearby. There is a burning fee for burning your own brush - $30.00 per day. The council claimed other cities are doing the same.

Anybody else heard of such a thing ?

Nosmo

 

[SDB777]

Sounds like someone has a new boat to pay for!

You could always protest, drag your burn-able material to CityHall and leave it on their steps!!




We can burn stuff in the city limits here, but you better make sure there isn't a burn ban on. And the wind isn't blowing towards the 'crabby neighbors' living room(they leave their window open all the time) and it's pretty fun to fill their home with leaf smoke.



Scott B

 

[Nosmo]

There is also a $500.00 fine if a person is caught dumping. No telling what they would quickly pass as a new law if I got caught dumping on the grounds of City Hall.

Among the other permits they have included is one for putting a new roof on your home - I forget the amount but it is somewhere around $50.00.

Nosmo

 

[jrr344]

Sounds like its time to vote these bums out, but a lot of people probably don't care. They keep on taking, have you asked why they need money for you to burn your own trash.

 

[cityboy]

Along with this new rate our city council passed several new rates and a new law. Before passage it was unlawful to burn outside within the city limits -- brush, limbs and stumps were supposed to be hauled by the homeowner to the dump and the dump fees are expensive.

The new law states organic material can be burned outside but the fire marshal must inspect the materials and approve them and the safety of others nearby. There is a burning fee for burning your own brush - $30.00 per day. The council claimed other cities are doing the same.

Anybody else heard of such a thing ?

Nosmo

yep, in SoCal we have that type of law where I live, and the permit is closer to $100.00 I believe, but I haven't actually applied for one so I'm not sure of the exact cost. And you can only do it in certain times of the year, when fire dangers are lower.

Given that small fires in SoCal easily expand into brushfires that take out thousands of acres, the permit makes sense here.

Now that your gov't has allowed fires, I'm guessing they are trying to manage the task and avoid lawsuits if you or your neighbors decide to get a bit careless, or burn things they don't want you to.

The better solution would be to allow you to bring the material to the dump for free and mulch it there, avoiding the fire issue altogether. The city of San Diego has had that plan in effect for many years (if you're a city resident), and I believe they provide free mulch to the public in return.

 

[Nosmo]

Free Dump Day

Free dump day sounds good -- but. Our city sold the dump to a private concern. The city does pay the dump when a free dump day is offered.

They have gone from 6 free days down to 2 free days a year. Only city residents may use the dump free on those 2 days. Proof of residence and a copy of last month's paid water bill must be presented at the gate.

I haven't been out there in years and do manage to burn up my scraps so I am not really concerned with the dump. But a lots of folks who live in town have no means (pickups or a trailer) to load up when the free days are offered.

The city trash pickup service will pickup Christmas trees at the end of that season. They will not pickup anything but household waste and in writing it says NO Contruction Materials.

Our city council members are elected but are not given a salary. Our mayor is elected but serves with no salary. We have a city manager and if I am not mistaken it is quite a bit he his paid.

Nosmo

 

[bigbadbob]

No burning allowed here at all!!!
But we have a few large free composting sites, they will take all your yard waste and trees. Seems to work well, our landfill is expensive enough people dump in the bush!!

 

[Nosmo]

Illegal Dumping

I'm retired - been retired since 2003 and I try to keep busy. Among the things I do daily is walk 3-miles on a fitness trail and later in the day ride a bicycle at least 3-miles too.

On Friday afternoon on the trail I came across a pile of brush and limbs which had been dumped and it almost covered the width of the trail.

About 6-weeks ago I came across a car parked along the shoulder of the trail. There are not supposed to be any motor vehicles on this trail -- scooters or cars. I looked the car over and it was an Oldsmobile 88 with the steering column broken into and new checks and paperwork scattered about inside. When I got back to my vehicle I turned the info over to the police down at the station.

There are other smaller things being thrown out along the trail but I expect this to increase all over the area by people avoiding the dump fee and burning permits.

Nosmo