[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Township
of Springfield 12-12-1973 by Ord. No. 628. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
A.Â
Word usage. When not inconsistent with the context, words used in
the present tense include the future, words used in plural numbers
include the singular number, the words used in the singular number
include the plural number. The word "shall" is always mandatory and
not merely directory.
B.Â
AIRCRAFT
AUTHORIZED PRIVATE RECEPTACLE
COMMERCIAL HANDBILL
(1)Â
(2)Â
(3)Â
(4)Â
GARBAGE
LITTER
NEWSPAPER
NONCOMMERCIAL HANDBILL
PARK
PERSON
PRIVATE PREMISES
PUBLIC PLACE
REFUSE
RUBBISH
TOWNSHIP
VEHICLE
Definitions. For the purpose of this chapter, the following terms,
phrases, words and their derivatives shall have the meanings given
herein:
Any contrivance now known or hereafter invented, used or
designated for navigation or for flight in the air. The word "aircraft"
shall include helicopters and lighter-than-air dirigibles and balloons.
A litter storage and collection receptacle as authorized
by Springfield Township and the National Sanitation Foundation.
Any printed or written matter, any sample or device, dodger,
circular, leaflet, pamphlet, paper booklet or any other printed or
otherwise reproduced original or copies of any matter or literature:
Which advertises for sale any merchandise, product, commodity
or thing.
Which directs attention to any business or mercantile or commercial
establishment, or other activity, for the purpose of either directly
or indirectly promoting the interest thereof by sales.
Which directs attention to or advertises any meeting, theatrical
performance, exhibition or event of any kind for which an admission
fee is charged for the purpose of private gain or profit; but the
terms of this subsection shall not apply where an admission fee is
charged or a collection is taken up for the purpose of defraying the
expenses incident to such meeting, theatrical performance, exhibition
or event of any kind, when either of the same is held, given or takes
place in connection with the dissemination of information which is
not restricted under the ordinary rules of decency, good morals, public
peace, safety and good order; provided that nothing contained in this
subsection shall be deemed to authorize the holding, giving or taking
place of any meeting, theatrical performance, exhibition or event
of any kind without a license where such license is or may be required
by any law of Pennsylvania or under any ordinance of Springfield Township.
Which, while containing reading matter other than advertising
matter, it predominantly and essentially an advertisement and is distributed
or circulated for advertising purposes or for the private benefit
and gain of any person so engaged as advertiser or distributor.
Putrescible animal and vegetable wastes resulting from the
handling, preparation, cooking and consumption of food.
Garbage, refuse and rubbish, as defined herein, and all other
waste material which, if thrown or deposited as herein prohibited,
tends to create a danger to the public health, safety and welfare.
Any newspaper of general circulation as defined by general
law, any newspaper duly entered with the Post Office Department of
the United States in accordance with federal statute or regulations
and any newspaper filed and recorded with a recording officer as provided
by general law; and, in addition thereto, any periodical or current
magazine regularly published with not less than four issues per year
and sold to the public.
Any printed or written matter, any sample or device, dodger,
circular, leaflet, pamphlet, newspaper, magazine, paper booklet or
any other printed or otherwise reproduced original or copies of any
matter or literature not included in the aforesaid definitions of
"commercial handbills" or "newspaper."
A park, playground, recreation center or any other public
area in the township owned or used by the township and devoted to
active or passive recreation.
Any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation,
company or organization of any kind.
Any dwelling, house, building or other structure designed
to be used wholly or in part for private residential purposes, whether
inhabited or temporarily or continuously uninhabited or vacant, including
any yard, grounds, walks, driveway, park, steps, vestibule or mailbox
belonging or appurtenant to such dwelling, house, building or other
structure.
Any and all streets, sidewalks, boulevards, alleys or other
public ways, and any and all public parks, squares, spaces, grounds
and buildings.
All putrescible and nonputrescible solid waste (except body
waste), including garbage, rubbish, ashes, street cleanings, dead
animals, abandoned automobiles and solid market and industrial wastes.
Nonputrescible solid wastes consisting of both combustible
and noncombustible waste, such as paper, wrappings, cigarettes, cardboard,
tin cans, grass, leaves, yard clippings, wood, glass, bedding, crockery
and similar materials.
The Township of Springfield, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
Every device in, upon or by which any person or property
is or may be transported or drawn upon a highway, including devices
used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks.
No person shall throw or deposit litter in or upon any street,
sidewalk or public place within the township, except in public receptacles
or in authorized private receptacles for collection.
Persons placing litter in public receptacles or in authorized
private receptacles shall do so in such a manner as to prevent it
from being carried or deposited by the elements upon any street, sidewalk
or other public place or upon public property.
No person shall sweep into or deposit in any gutter, street
or other public place within the township the accumulation of litter
from a building or lot or from any public or private sidewalk or driveway.
Persons owning or occupying property shall keep the sidewalk in front
of their premises free of litter.
No person owning or occupying a place of business shall sweep
into or deposit in any gutter, street or other public place within
the township the accumulation of litter from any building or lot or
from any public or private sidewalk or driveway. Persons owning or
occupying places of business within the township shall keep the sidewalk
in front of their business premises free of litter.
No person while a driver or passenger in a vehicle shall throw
or deposit litter upon any street or other public place within the
township or upon private property.
No person shall drive or move any truck or other vehicle within
the township unless such vehicle is so constructed or loaded as to
prevent any load, contents or litter from being blown or deposited
upon any street, alley or other public place. Nor shall any person
drive or move any vehicle or track within the township, the wheels
or tires of which carry onto or deposit in any street, alley or other
public place mud, dirt, sticky substances, litter or foreign matter
of any kind.
No person shall throw or deposit litter in any park within the
township, except in public receptacles and in such a manner that the
litter will be prevented from being carried or deposited by the elements
upon any part of the park or upon any street or other public place.
Where public receptacles are not provided, all such litter shall be
carried away from the park by the person responsible for its presence
and properly disposed of elsewhere as provided herein.
No person shall throw or deposit litter in any pond, stream
or any other body of water in a park or elsewhere within the township.
No person shall throw or deposit litter in any storm or sanitary
sewer, including rights-of-way.
No person shall throw or deposit any commercial or noncommercial
handbill in or upon any sidewalk, street or other public place within
the township. Nor shall any person hand out or distribute or sell
any commercial handbill in any public place; provided, however, that
it shall not be unlawful on any sidewalk, street or other public place
within the township for any person to hand out or distribute, without
charge to the receiver thereof, any noncommercial handbill to any
person willing to accept it.
No person shall throw or deposit any commercial or noncommercial
handbill in or upon any vehicle; provided, however, that is shall
not be unlawful in any public place for a person to hand out or distribute,
without charge to the receiver thereof, a noncommercial handbill to
any occupant of a vehicle who is willing to accept it.
No person shall throw or deposit any commercial or noncommercial
handbill in or upon any private premises which are temporarily or
continuously uninhabited or vacant.
No person shall throw, deposit or distribute any commercial
or noncommercial handbill upon any premises if requested by anyone
thereon not to do so or if there is placed on said premises in a conspicuous
position near the entrance thereof a sign bearing the words "No Trespassing,"
"No Peddlers or Agents," "No Advertisements" or any similar notice
indicating in any manner that the occupants of said premises do not
desire to be molested or have their right of privacy disturbed or
to have any such handbills left upon such premises.
A.Â
No person shall throw, deposit or distribute any commercial or noncommercial
handbill in or upon private premises which are inhabited, except by
handing or transmitting any such handbill directly to the owner, occupant
or other person then present in or upon such private premises; provided,
however, that in case of inhabited private premises which are not
posted, as provided in this chapter, such person, unless requested
by anyone upon such premises not to do so, may place or deposit any
such handbill in or upon such inhabited private premises if such handbill
is so placed or deposited as to secure or prevent such handbill from
being blown or drifted about such premises or sidewalks, streets or
other public places, and except that mailboxes may not be so used
when so prohibited by federal postal law or regulations.
B.Â
Exception for mail and newspapers. The provisions of this section
shall not apply to the distribution of mail by the United States nor
to newspapers, as defined herein, except that newspapers shall be
placed on private property in such a manner as to prevent their being
carried or deposited by the elements upon any street, sidewalk or
other public place or upon private property.
No person in an aircraft shall throw out, drop or deposit within
the township any litter, handbill or any other object.
No person shall post or affix any notice, poster or other paper
or device, calculated to attract the attention of the public, to any
lamppost, public utility pole or shade tree or upon any public structure
or building, except as may be authorized or required by law.
No person shall throw or deposit litter on any occupied private
property within the township, whether owned by such person or not,
except that the owner or person in control of private property may
maintain authorized private receptacles for collection in such a manner
that litter will be prevented from being carried or deposited by the
elements upon any street, sidewalk or other public place or upon any
private property.
The owner or person in control of any private property shall
at all times maintain the premises free of litter; provided, however,
that this section shall not prohibit the storage of litter in authorized
private receptacles for collection.
A.Â
Notice to remove. Springfield Township is hereby authorized and empowered
to notify the owner of any open or vacant private property within
the township, or the agent of such owner, to properly dispose of litter
located on such owner's property which is dangerous to public
health, safety or welfare. Such notice shall be by certified mail,
addressed to said owner at his last known address.
B.Â
Action upon noncompliance. Upon the failure, neglect or refusal of any owner or agent so notified to properly dispose of litter dangerous to the public health, safety or welfare within five days after receipt of written notice provided for in Subsection A above, the owner shall be cited for violation in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
[Amended 7-13-1988 by Ord. No. 756]
Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter,
upon conviction thereof in a summary proceeding, shall be sentenced
to pay a fine not to exceed $1,000, which fine may be collected by
a suit brought in the name of the township before any District Justice
in like manner as debts of like amount may be used for by existing
laws.