The Peoria Heights Examiner carried a fine photo of the front of my house on garbage day sometime in March 2007, although the photographer was too lazy to get out of the car to shoot it. What it showed was a couple plastic cans of garbage, and a couple plastic bags of garbage (neatly tied, mind you) beside them. Everything looked relatively acceptable (for garbage, anyhow).
An ordinance had been passed a few months earlier, that was meant for the storage of garbage. In other words, it was not meant to address things being set out on garbage day, only on those days leading up to it. We didn't think it was a good idea to have foodstuffs in plastic bags, sitting outside on a Tuesday, waiting for garbage day on Friday, and a hungry raccoon. That was all it was meant to address.
Well, our Village Attorney went a couple steps further, and the language pretty much made it sound like no matter what was set out on garbage day or any day leading up to it, the garbage had to be in a plastic container. Like if you were going to set out a card table for pick-up, you would have to saw it down and fit it into a plastic garbage can. Obviously, that was not the spirit of what we wanted. I will plead "guilty" to not reading the ordinance as closely as I should have. However, I thought that the ordinance was written up to cover all possibilities, so didn't think anything further about it. I figured that our Village Attorney wrote it; it must be right; and we were only addressing the STORAGE of the garbage leading up TO when it is set out. But, rather than contact Village Hall or me, and ask a few questions about the ordinance, the crack reporter and photographer at the Examiner felt that he had a "gotcha!" on me, because I had set out plastic bags ON GARBAGE DAY.
We got this resolved; we had to change some of the wording in the ordinance, so that this sort of problem could be avoided in the future. The "innuendo" came in that the Examiner inferred that I was being given a "pass" on my plastic bag law-breaking, and everyone else was getting hammerred on it. Not so. Only one person received a citation and a fine for the transgression of putting plastic bags out on garbage day. Me.
I insisted on having the code enforcement officer issue the citation, and I paid it. No one else in Peoria Heights received a citation and a fine for this. A little poorer, and a little wiser; but a little more money in the Village coffers, as well.
what a sad group of screwballs that you're running against. good luck to you and you have my vote.
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ReplyDeleteIT LOOKS LIKE THE VILLAGE CROOK PHOTOGRAPHER E*** C***** LIKES TAKING PICTURES OF ALL KINDS OF THINGS, HE SHOULD GO TAKE A PICTURE OF HIS $7,000.00 TAXPAYERS DRIVEWAY THAT LEADS TO THE FRONT DOOR OF HIS HOUSE.
ReplyDeleteThe coffers as well as your honor are indeed intact, Mayor Allen, and flourishing. Honest mistake, honorable redemption......and less than honorable tactics by the other side, that went absolutely no where other than egg on their face.
ReplyDelete"...Only one person received a citation and a fine for the transgression of putting plastic bags out on garbage day. Me. I insisted on having the code enforcement officer issue the citation, and I paid it." CLASSIC HONOR.
This post may be a bit late in the game but...
ReplyDeleteconsidering the employees of the garbage company are allowed to leave our cans in the street after they empty them ~ I would say the plastic bags are the best way to have the trash removed. At least they don't become a road hazard after the fact.
If the garbage men are leaving your cans in the street, and by the "street," I'm assuming you mean IN the street, not next to the curb; then, you should contact us at 686-2385, tell us your address, and we will get the problem corrected. Yours is pretty much the first complaint I've heard regarding this situation; sure, cans get blown into the street when the winds are high; but, just a blanket statement like yours makes it sound like they do it all of the time.
ReplyDeleteAgain, give a call, and we'll get your problem corrected.
Plastic bags are fine for setting out the day of the garbage pick-up. They're not so good for storing during the week outside. That was why the ordinance was brought forth in the first place. Thanks for checking leaving the message.