North Canton Council set to allow residents to keep trash cans outside garages
NORTH CANTON − By not placing their large Kimble garbage container in their garage, many residents are violating the city's trash collection ordinance.
Council plans to soon legalize what many residents are doing in practice — keeping their Kimble trash cans outside because they don't have enough space in their small garages.
Council voted Monday to place proposed legislation overhauling the waste collection ordinance on its agenda for action next week.
More North Canton news: Papa Bears, Bojangles, Wendy's also to open in North Canton
Right now, the ordinance requires that property owners keep their garbage containers in a storage area except during the 24 hours before trash collection day. The code defines storage area as "the interior of a garage, shed, commercial building, or a location to the rear of a residential or commercial building that is shielded from the view of adjoining property owners by natural buffering, or a constructed enclosure."
The legislation would change the definition of storage area to "a location on the property that is not curbside and is set back at least five feet from any property line."
At-large council member Daryl Revoldt said many residents have small garages and can't fit their car and the large Kimble can into their garage. The proposal also would prohibit anyone from placing trash into a container that wasn't their own. But a violation of the ordinance would remain a minor misdemeanor.
The legislation also increases the minimum liability insurance coverage for a trash hauler operating in the city from $500,000 to $1 million. But it eliminates the requirement that a trash removal company post a performance bond of $10,000.
City provides update on SAFEbuilt
City Administrator Patrick DeOrio gave council an update on the city's relationship with SAFEbuilt, a contractor that does housing code inspections for the city and provides citation notices for violations. The city contracted with SAFEbuilt in 2018.
DeOrio said the company does not only building code enforcement but inspections of plumbing, mechanical systems, and electrical systems. It also helps draft housing code and zoning code legislation.
DeOrio showed a pie chart that listed the top types of housing code violations from 1999 to 2023. The top two types are grass and weeds, 927 since 1999, and temporary sign violations, of which there were 859. He also showed a slide that said that landlords for 1,308 rental units in the city have registered those units through the rental registration program, which SAFEBuild is helping to administer.
DeOrio announced that due to SAFEbuilt's help the city was able to demolish on Monday a problem property at 1646 Westfield Ave. SW, south of Everhard Road NW. The city filed suit against the property's owner in January 2022. DeOrio said the evidence collected by a SAFEbuilt inspector helped the city build a case.
Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com. Twitter: @rwangREP.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: North Canton Council looks at changes to trash hauling ordinance
