Officials talk trash picking

Majority say scrappers benefits outweigh number of disturbances

Mentor leaders considered addressing garbage pickers at a recent meeting, after a councilman received complaints.

But the consensus was to leave well enough alone.

Ward 2 Councilman Matt Donovan said one resident reported the trash receptacle being dumped out, presumably by scrappers. Another complained that a patio table placed on the curb was taken after the glass was smashed out and left on the lawn.

An additional concern is that scrappers may come through while children are out playing.

Donovan suggested requiring scrappers to register with the city and place a sticker on their vehicle to identify them as such. He said a camera placed on their trucks could provide evidence of their efforts.

The city has a law addressing scattering and pilfering: “No person shall without the consent of the owner or person in charge thereof disturb, scatter, remove or pilfer any refuse placed in containers.” Ward 4 Councilman John Krueger questioned the city’s ability to police the situation. He put the onus back on residents.

“If you’ve got scrappers and you’re concerned, get their license number,” he said. “We don’t have a problem and I hate making legislation for something that’s not a

community problem.”

City Manager Ken Filipiak suggested an informational item be posted to the website to assist residents who experience an issue.

A draft of the announcement acknowledges the benefits that scrappers provide by recycling unwanted items and keeping them out of landfills.

It also lists some rules for residents — and scrappers — to remember:

• Scrappers are permitted to take items left at the curbside. They are not permitted to enter onto your property in order to retrieve them.

• Scrappers are not permitted to dig into trash bins.

• Scrappers are not permitted to disassemble items to only take a portion of the item.

“This kind of scavenging goes on in every community,” Filipiak said. “Most of the time we don’t get a lot of complaints.”

Police Chief Kevin Knight said the nature of reports to his department involve noise and suspicious vehicles.

Andy Rose has been head of code enforcement for six years and he said he has yet to see a pilfering case.

Councilman at large Ray Kirchner said the only complaints he’s received involve a scrapper with a loud muffler and excessive speed.

“If you’re going to ask them to put a camera in, that could be a deal-killer for them,” he said.

Some officials said the scrappers they have encountered are known to the neighbors and friendly.

Council President Janet Dowling said the issue can be revisited, if needed.

Mentor-on-the-Lake City Council in 2105 considered adopting a law that would ban disturbing, scattering, removing or pilfering items placed for collection without the owner’s consent. Similar ordinances exist in Painesville and Willowick.

However, Council unanimously voted down the measure.

Questions may be directed to code enforcement at 440-974-5792.