Chapter 8.04
GARBAGE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL
Sections:
8.04.010 Authority.
8.04.020 Scope.
8.04.030 Compliance.
8.04.040 Definitions.
8.04.060 Garbage Supervisor.
8.04.070 Use of City system required.
8.04.080 Disposal exceptions from City system.
8.04.100 Collection records – Delinquent charges.
8.04.110 Nonpayment of charges.
8.04.120 Collection by City or agent.
8.04.130 Containers – Requirements.
8.04.140 Containers – Location.
8.04.150 Right to require segregation of components.
8.04.160 Burning and composting.
8.04.170 Disposal of swill.
8.04.180 Restrictions on deposit of refuse in public or private containers.
8.04.190 Violation – Penalty.
8.04.010 Authority.
This chapter empowers the City to buy, maintain, lease, contract, or otherwise acquire and operate, equipment for the removal and disposal of refuse within the City and to contract with any person or agency, public or private, for the same. This section further empowers the City to operate and maintain a disposal site for the disposal of all refuse, garbage, rubbish, ashes and swill, or contract for disposal of the same with a public entity or private contractor. (Ord. 590 § 5, 1979)
8.04.020 Scope.
This chapter applies to all territory within the corporate limits of the City and area of police jurisdiction thereof, except as set forth in RCW 35.13.280. (Ord. 590 § 1, 1979)
8.04.030 Compliance.
The maintenance of health and sanitation requires, and it is the intention hereof, to make the collection, removal and disposal of garbage, refuse and dead animals within the City limits compulsory and universal. (Ord. 590 § 2, 1979)
8.04.040 Definitions.
Words used in the present tense include the plural, and future tense, and include the singular, and where used in the masculine include the feminine gender. For use in this chapter, the following words are defined:
A. “Ashes” includes the solid waste products of coal, wood, and other fuel sold for heating and cooking from all public and private establishments and from residences.
B. “Garbage” includes all putrescible wastes except sewage and body wastes, including vegetable and animal offal, and carcasses of dead animals, but not including recognized industrial byproducts and includes all such substances from all public and private establishments and from all private residences.
C. “Health officer” means the City, district or county health officer, as defined in RCW 70.05.050 as amended by Extraordinary Session Laws of 1969.
D. “Person” means every person, firm, copartnership, association or corporation.
E. “Refuse” includes garbage, rubbish, ashes, swill, and other putrescible and nonputrescible wastes except sewage, from all public and private establishments and residences.
F. “Rubbish” includes all nonputrescible wastes, except ashes, from all public and private establishments and from all residences.
G. “Swill,” as used in this chapter, means and includes every refuse accumulation of animal, fruit, or vegetable matter, liquid or otherwise, that attends the preparation, use, cooking, dealing in or storing of meat, fish, fowl, fruit and vegetables. (Ord. 590 § 3, 1979)
8.04.060 Garbage Supervisor.
There shall be an office of Garbage Supervisor, which office may be combined with and held by an employee of the City who shall be appointed by the Mayor; and such Garbage Supervisor shall, subject to regulation by the City Health Supervisor, Mayor, Garbage Committee, or such other City officials, have supervision over the collection, removal and dumping of all garbage collected within the City. (Ord. 590 § 5, 1979)
8.04.070 Use of City system required.
Every person, owner, occupant or person in possession, charge or in control of any residence, dwelling, farm, apartment or apartment house, school, hotel, club, restaurant, eating place, tavern, store, cannery, cold storage plant, commercial garage, service station or any other business within the City is required to use the garbage collection and disposal system operated by the City or its agent. (Ord. 590 § 6, 1979)
8.04.080 Disposal exceptions from City system.
It is unlawful for any person to bury, burn, dump, collect, or in any manner dispose of garbage or swill upon any street, alley, or public place or private property within the City, except when the disposal is with the express permission of the City, and such disposal is confined to a waste disposal system having prior approval from the City Council. (Ord. 590 § 6, 1979)
8.04.100 Collection records – Delinquent charges.
The authorized garbage collector shall keep a record of all collections of garbage made from each property and shall deliver a copy thereof to the Treasurer who shall put the charges for the same on the water and sewer bills to be mailed out to the users each month. On failure to pay such charge, the amount thereof shall be a lien against the property for which the garbage collection service was rendered in accordance with law. Should garbage bills become delinquent, the water and sewer service shall be discontinued under the same terms as failure to pay for such water and sewer service. (Ord. 590 § 8, 1979)
8.04.110 Nonpayment of charges.
Upon failure to pay such charges, the amount thereof shall become a lien against the property for which the garbage collection service was rendered, which lien shall be made effective by the filing of a notice thereof in the office of the county auditor, specifying the charges, the period covered by the charges, and giving the legal description of the premises; and which lien shall be prior to any and all other liens and encumbrances filed subsequent to the filing thereof but shall be subject to general taxes and local improvements whether levied prior or subsequent thereto. (Ord. 590 § 9, 1979)
8.04.120 Collection by City or agent.
Garbage, ashes, rubbish and other waste materials will be collected by the City or its agent as authorized by this chapter. (Ord. 590 § 10, 1979)
8.04.130 Containers – Requirements.
A. The owner or occupant of each household or place of business having waste is required by ordinance to provide proper cans for waste materials, or containers which shall be approved by the Garbage Supervisor.
B. Garbage, rubbish and ash cans shall be watertight receptacles of sufficient size to hold not less than 10 gallons nor more than 32 gallons and shall be marked with the address or name of the residence or business. Plastic bags shall be of sufficient strength to contain, without breaking, the refuse placed therein.
C. No garbage can, when filled, shall weigh more than 50 pounds, and shall be so packed that the contents will readily dump out when the can is inverted.
D. Garbage cans and approved containers shall be kept in a sanitary condition and cleaned inside and outside as often as is necessary to minimize all objectionable odors, and shall be rodent proof. (Ord. 590 § 11, 1979)
8.04.140 Containers – Location.
A. All cans and refuse containers shall be placed or caused to be placed within five feet of the street or alley adjacent to the premises, or at such convenient point as may be designated by the Garbage Supervisor, so the same may be easily loaded at time for collection.
B. It is also unlawful to place a refuse container at such a location as to cause the collection charge therefor to be billed to a residence or business other than that of the owner. (Ord. 590 § 12, 1979)
8.04.150 Right to require segregation of components.
The City reserves the right to require segregation of component parts of such garbage, and may require the deposit thereof in separate receptacles. (Ord. 590 § 7, 1979)
8.04.160 Burning and composting.
Waste paper, boxes, brush, grass, leaves, weeds, and cuttings from trees, lawns, shrubs and gardens may be burned on private property in furnaces, outside fireplaces or private incinerators if this is approved by the Fire Chief or Fire Marshal. The items may also be composted, provided the method of so doing does not constitute a public nuisance. (Ord. 590 § 6, 1979)
8.04.170 Disposal of swill.
It is unlawful for any person, firm or business as set forth in this section to deposit, throw or place any swill upon private property, regardless of ownership, or throw or place swill or other food wastes in a lane, alley, street or public place unless the swill is placed in a vessel or tank, of the type approved by the Garbage Supervisor and which shall have a perfectly watertight and rodent proof lid which shall fit tightly and not be removed except when placing swill therein or removing the same therefrom. (Ord. 590 § 6, 1979)
8.04.180 Restrictions on deposit of refuse in public or private containers.
It is unlawful to deposit refuse in a public or private container, without the permission of the owner, except conventional automobile litter bags or incidental pedestrian litter which may be deposited in a public receptacle. (Ord. 590 § 6, 1979)
8.04.190 Violation – Penalty.
Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be subject to a fine not to exceed the sum of $300.00 for each offense. (Ord. 590 § 14, 1979)