pf_03142 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Neighborhood Nuisance Handbook Page 16 of 1 7 TRASH, RUBBISH OR GARBAGE The City's ordinances closely regulate trash and garbage, and specify that: Household trash cannot be dumped in public parks, vacant lots, baskets on street comers or commercial trash receptacles. Trash also cannot be dumped on private property without the owner's consent and (in some cases) without a permit. Weekly trash pickup by a City-licensed hauler or weekly disposal at an authorized landfill or transfer station is mandatory. Trash waiting for collection must not be placed on the curb or in the alley for more than 12 hours. Trash cannot be allowed to accumulate in a house, garage or backyard. Trash must be stored and placed out for collection in proper containers with covers or plastic bags. If trash has accumulated, call Public Health (292-7771) for a summary abatement (see SUMMARY ABATEMENT). They receive a large number of complaints about accumulated trash, especially during the summer. This workload and appeals of the inspector's order might delay actual pickup of the trash. In addition, City inspectors occasionally make "sweeps" of an area with many trash problems, noting all properties with uncollected trash and ordering them cleaned up. If the owner does not comply, the City will do another sweep to pick up the trash. If you would like to see a sweep in your neighborhood, contact your District Council. VACANT BUILDING The City can take action on vacant buildings, and you can help move the process along. First, make sure the City is aware that the building is vacant. Call Vacant Buildings (298-4153) to report a vacant building and an inspector will come out to check. City ordinance requires vacant buildings be registered with the City. The inspector who comes out when you call will determine whether this building should be registered. The City monitors vacant buildings to see if they are secured, if they are being rehabilitated or to determine whether they should be tom down. If a building is not secured, the inspector can order the owner to secure it and, if necessary, the City can board up the building to secure it. If the building is not rehabilitated, the City may determine that it is a nuisance and take action to have it tom down if rehabilitation is infeasible. Buildings that may be regarded as nuisances include any dangerous buildings, any unsecured or boarded buildings, any building unoccupied for a year or longer which has multiple code violations, or condemned or any building under construction with an incomplete exterior shell for up to three hundred and sixty five days (365). If only a portion of a building is hazardous (such as a porch or chimney) it can be tom down without demolishing the entire building. The nuisance procedure is as follows: 1. The inspector orders the owner to demolish the building or otherwise abate the nuisance, and states that if the owner does not abate the nuisance within a specified time, the City may demolish the building. 2. A list of buildings subject to demolition, updated monthly, is filed with the City Clerk and the Ramsey County Recorder. 3. If the owner does not follow the inspector's order within the time limit, a public hearing will be scheduled before the Legislative Hearing Officer and, if warranted, the City Council. The owner and the District Council will be notified of the hearing. http://www . stpaul.gov /councillhandbook.html 07/06/1999