Landlords to get stiffer rule for trash

Lorainites who don’t comply with automated trash collection can face fines of at least $300 if they let garbage pile up outside their homes.

Meanwhile, landlords who evict tenants may be required to use roll-off containers for items left inside the rental units, according to legislation to be considered by Lorain City Council.

Earlier this year Lorain joined other communities in the county in using automated trash collection, known locally as the cart system for the wheeled cans to hold garbage and recyclable items.

Waste collection was on the agenda again on

Sept. 25 as Council debated a rule that would require landlords to use containers for all move-outs, evictions and generally clearing furniture and household items left when tenants are gone.

Council’s Streets & Utilities Committee voted to recommend the full board consider the new rule. But not before lengthy discussion on rights of landlords, tenants, city residents and personal responsibility of those involved.

Committee Chairman Joe Faga noted the legislation will not penalize landlords who properly dispose of refuse left by tenants.

The requirement at first was in Lorain’s contract for trash pickup, but was amended out of the agreement that Council approved, said Mayor Chase Ritenauer.

“The end result that we want is pretty much this: We don’t want garbage out on the treelawn sitting for weeks,” Ritenauer said. Discussion has centered around landlords, but that holds true for all city residents, he said.

“We don’t want garbage sitting out on the street,” Ritenauer said.

Council-woman-at-Large Mary Springowski said she favors the legislation if only to slow down resident trash complaints that she sends along to Safety-Service Director Dan Given. Ward 3 Councilwoman Pamela Carter thanked Ritenauer for the added requirement and noted she also sends multiple complaints to Given.

Ward 2 Councilman Dennis Flores argued the legislation could be unfair for landlords, but Councilman-at-Large Joe Koziura said the ordinance is “long past due” to remedy trash complaints. Ward 8 Councilman Joshua Thornsberry said Lorain should not punish the 95 percent of landlords who properly handle the refuse, but the city needs a way to deal with the 5 percent who are creating a mess.

Among the audience commenters, Marija Georgievski, former executive director of the Lake Erie Landlord Association, said the charges were fair and reasonable.

Two landlords, Charles Holtzman, a member of the LELA legislative committee, and Richard Hardy argued Council would help city staff, landlords, tenants and residents if the city required tenants to sign up for water and sewer service and put down a deposit for them.

That would help accountability for garbage because Lorain bills for trash pickup through the utilities and the city would know who lives in which locations, they said. A landlord legally may not turn off water for a tenant, but the city could, Holtzman said.

“That would help them, help us and that would give them the information they want,” he said.

Some tenants simply leave without taking their belongings. “Now you’re going to fine the landlord that had nothing to do with that garbage,” Hardy said.

Meanwhile, the city of Lorain has published a notice warning residents that they will pay if city crews have to clean up trash on the curb that becomes a public health nuisance.

If the city gets a complaint, an inspector visits and property owners get 48 hours to clean it up. If they don’t, the city will.

Council already has approved two ordinances to bill property owners for the time that city crews spend cleaning up piled trash.

The bills include a $300 administration fee and the cost of city workers. So far bills have ranged from $424.26 for a home on West 20th Street, to $906.84 for a home on West 22nd Street, according to city records.

“It’s to hold people accountable,” Given said. “It doesn’t matter where you are, whether you’re in the east side of town, south side or west side, it’s responsibly getting rid of your debris.”

The city crews have spent a lot of time in the middle of Lorain cleaning up trash, Given said. Some people are lazy and some are cheap, he said.

“This is to deal with people to really push them into compliance,” Given said. Since the city started hitting people in the pocketbook, “we have noticed a continuous decline in people throwing this out there,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter where you are, whether you’re in the east side of town, south side or west side, it’s responsibly getting rid of your debris.” — Safety-Service Director Dan Given