An ordinance that was recently passed to prevent garbage from overflowing from containers outside apartment complexes may be an unfair burden for some owners in Worth, according to one trustee.
An ordinance passed Dec. 3 stipulates that all garbage, refuse and ashes collected shall be placed in metal containers equipped with tight-fitting covers. The ordinance emphasized that all containers for the storage of refuse need to be covered at all times.
But since the ordinance passed, Trustee Brad Urban said he has been contacted by an apartment building owner who said that they should not be paying extra for a second container if they have no problem with their debris being covered.
“The problem is that businesses and apartment owners having two containers would be charged extra,” Urban said during the Worth Village Board meeting Tuesday night.
To further complicate the issue, Police Chief Tim Denton said officers have been handing out citation violations, warning these owners to take care of the problem.
“The problem here is that the owners take care of it and nothing more happens after that,” Denton said. “Some of them continue to have overflowing garbage and just receive citations. So it just goes on.”
Some of the board members suggested that these owners who are repeat offenders should be fined. Frequent offenders could face fines up to $750. Attorney Greg Jones suggested that the fines could range from $50 to $100 for owners who are not repeat offenders.
Refinement of the ordinance will be made at a later date and then voted on by board members.
Application fees for the Real Estate Development Board will be raised in some instances to $100 so the village can keep up with costs.
Mayor Mary Werner said that most application fees would not even be listed in those categories. The mayor said the majority are for parking fees.
Board members also believe that emails should be sent if residents would agree to that regarding water billing fees. Trustees believe this would be a better option than sending the bills by conventional mail, which the board said is not always reliable.
Urban, who also is the head of the public works committee, reminded residents that HBK Engineering is still conducting utility pole inspections and will be inserting fiber optics to the poles in the backyards of these homes.
The trustee wanted to point this out because employees of the engineering company may knock on doors to inform residents that they may need access to their backyards.
“Some people have been complaining to us because they think it is a scam,” Urban said. “I just want to let them know it is not.”
Urban also mentioned that public works employees, along with Robinson Engineering, are conducting sanitary manhole inspections. Depending on the location, backyard access may be necessary, Urban said.
The areas where access may be required are between 111th and Home Avenue and from Nashville to Ridgeland avenues, Urban added.
The board also gave tentative approval for the Mayo Oriental Store to open at 11228 S. Harlem Ave. The retail store, which will have Filipino and Oriental products and grocery items for sale, has been at several other locations in the village.
Owner Rio Oliveros said he likes the new location, which has more parking.
Trustee Laura Packwood, who is the chair of the golf committee, said that prospects for the Water’s Edge Golf Course are looking up in the new year.
“The December weather was very mild, so we did better than expected,” Packwood said. “Food and beverages did just under $10,000. Who would think that you would make money in December?”
The post Worth considers new garbage ordinance adjustments appeared first on Southwest Regional Publishing.