Steeper enforcement for trash violations planned for Stowe
-ORDINANCE-
Stowe Commissioner Cheryl McDermott is sick of trash.
“I was very concerned about all the garbage in this town,” McDermott said.
To do something about the issue, McDermott contacted Joe McWilliams at Valley Waste to include a copy of the trash ordinance with the service calendar he sends to every property owner each year.
“Now the property owner can’t say they didn’t know about that ordinance,” McDermott said.
The ordinance states every residence must have a garbage can with a lid – putting out plastic bags alone is not acceptable.
Garbage collectors will be taking down addresses without cans and the list will be sent to code enforcement, McDermott said.
The board approved the measure Dec. 13.
“I wanted to get them to be on notice that we’d be doing this because this is the only way we’re going to clean this up,” McDermott said.
In the meeting, Township Solicitor Brad Matta asked if this move was a step toward bringing people to court.
McDermott dismissed that idea, explaining they’d had the ordinance on the books for years, but never really enforced it in a meaningful way.
“We’ve never actually gone after people,” McDermott said. “What do we do as far as fines? I really feel if someone is in violation they should get one letter.”