It is hereby declared and found that litter carelessly deposited in
the Borough is the cause of civic disgrace; that litter is a health, fire
and safety hazard and a pollutant; that an all-out litter control campaign
can result in substantial savings to taxpayers of the Borough; and that litter
is a matter affecting the public interest and consequently should be subject
to supervision and administrative control for the purpose of safeguarding
the health, safety and general welfare of the people of the Borough.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
COMMERCIAL PLACE
Any store or group thereof, including shopping centers, shopping
plazas and other similar places wherein mercantile activities and services
are offered to the public, and further including all parking areas thereat.
GARBAGE
Putrescible and vegetable wastes resulting from the handling, preparation,
cooking and consumption of food.
HANDBILL
Any printed or written matter, any sample or device, circular, leaflet,
pamphlet, paper, booklet or any other printed or otherwise reproduced original
or copy of any matter of literature which:
A.
Advertises for sale any merchandise, product, commodity or thing.
B.
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.
C.
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.
D.
While containing reading matter other than advertising matter, is 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.
LITTER
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 public health, safety and welfare or creates unsightliness.
NEWSPAPER
Any newspaper of general circulation, as defined by law; any newspaper
duly entered with the Post Office Department of the United States in accordance
with federal statute or regulation; and any newspaper filed and recorded with
any recording officer, as provided by law. In addition thereto, "newspaper"
shall mean and include any periodial or current magazine regularly published
with not less than four issues per year and sold to the public.
NONCOMMERCIAL HANDBILL
Any printed or written matter, any sample or device, circular, leaflet,
pamphlet, newspaper, magazine, paper, booklet or any other printed or otherwise
reproduced original or copies of any matter of literature not included in
the aforesaid definitions of "handbill" and "newspaper."
PARK
A park, reservation, playground, beach, recreation center or any
other public area in the Borough, owned or used by the Borough and devoted
to active or passive recreation.
PERSON
Any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation, company
or organization of any kind.
PRIVATE PREMISES
Any house, building or other structure designed or used, either wholly
or in part, for private residential purposes, whether inhabited or temporarily
or continuously uninhabited or vacant, including any yard, grounds, walk,
driveway, porch, steps, vestible or mailbox belonging or appurtenant to such
dwelling, house, building or other structure.
PUBLIC PLACE
Any and all streets, sidewalks, boulevards, alleys or other public
ways and any and all public parks, squares, spaces, grounds and buildings.
REFUSE
All putrescible and nonputrescible solid wastes, except body wastes,
including garbage, rubbish, ashes, street cleanings, dead animals, abandoned
automobiles, shopping carts and solid market and industrial wastes.
RUBBISH
Nonputrescible solid wastes consisting of both combustible and noncombustible
wastes, such as yard clippings, leaves, wood, glass, bedding, crockery and
similar materials.
VEHICLE
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 deposit or throw litter in or upon any street, sidewalk
or other public place within the Borough, except in public or private receptacles
for collection.
Persons placing litter in public or 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 private property.
No person shall sweep or deposit in any gutter, street or other public
place within the Borough the accumulation of litter from any building or litter
from any public sidewalk or driveway.
No person while a driver or passenger in a vehicle shall throw or deposit
litter upon any street or public place within the Borough or upon private
property.
No person shall drive or move any truck or other vehicle within the
Borough unless such vehicle is so operated, constructed and 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 truck within the Borough, 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 Borough
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 river, fountain, pond,
lake, stream or any other body of water in a park or elsewhere within the
Borough.
No person shall throw or deposit any commercial or noncommercial handbills
in or upon any sidewalk, street or other public place within the Borough.
No person shall throw or deposit any commercial or noncommercial handbill
in or upon any vehicle; provided, however, that it 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 is temporarily or continuously uninhabited
or vacant.
No person shall affix any handbills, posters, signs, etc., to any utility
pole or tree either on public or private property within the Borough of Marcus
Hook.
No person shall throw or deposit litter on any private property or commercial
place within the Borough whether owned by such person or not, except that
the owner or person in control of such private property or commercial place
may maintain authorized private receptacles for collection in such manner
that litter will be prevented from being carried or deposited by the elements
upon any street or other public place or upon any private property.
Each owner or person in control of any commercial place, including shopping
centers and delivery and parking areas thereat, shall keep said places, parking
fields, parking areas, delivery areas and other open areas which are a part
of such commercial place free of litter.
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.
No person shall throw or deposit litter on any open or vacant private
property within the Borough whether owned by such person or not.
The Borough Council or its designated representative is hereby authorized
and empowered to notify the owner of any open or vacant private property or
commercial place within the Borough, or the agent of such owner, to properly
dispose of litter located on such owner's property which is a nuisance or
dangerous to public health, safety or welfare. Such notice shall be by certified
mail, addressed to said owner at his last known address.
Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall, upon
conviction thereof, be punishable for each offense by a fine of up to the
maximum amount provided from time to time by state statute.