Breaking the rules for trash and recycling in Hampton could cost more under proposal from city’s public works
Hampton residents who break the city’s trash and recycling rules may soon face increased fines.
Public Works Director Jason Mitchell said in a Hampton City Council meeting last week that trash and recycling violations are costing the city more time and money and creating safety hazards.
He showed the council images of recycling containers loaded with nonrecyclable items, bulk trash materials spilling onto sidewalks, bins melted from being filled with hot charcoal and 15-foot-long tree trunks on the roadside that exceeded city guidelines.
He proposed adopting several measures to address residents who repeatedly violate the guidelines.
Residents receive written warnings for the first two offenses. Mitchell suggested increasing the fine on third offenses from $25 to $75.
He also proposed a heftier fine of $250 for people who dump litter in the public right-of-way or on private property. The city would also give a $250 fine to property owners who fail to properly arrange disposal within 48 hours after an eviction or moving out.
Mitchell proposed terminating the trash collection for residents who repeatedly put hazardous materials out for collection. These materials include paint, chemicals, medical waste or materials dangerous to the environment.
He advocated for giving the public works staff more authority to deal with people who leave basketball goals in the street — including the ability to remove them after issuing a violation notice. He also suggested allowing public works to designate the locations where residents can place their refuse on the curbside.
“We have some customers that will continue to place things under low-hanging power lines or things of that nature,” Mitchell said. “And it’s very difficult to make those collections safely.”
He also proposed giving public works the ability to charge nonresidents and commercial operations a fee when they take yard waste to the city facility on North Park Lane.
City Manager Mary Bunting said in the meeting that the council will vote on the proposals at a later meeting — likely in December.
“We want to give you an early read of where we were going so that you can, you know, express any input that you have before we finalize the draft ordinance,” she said.
For more information on the city’s recycling, visit: https://hampton.gov/333/Trash-Recycle.
Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com
