The following definitions shall apply in the interpretation
of this chapter:
AIRCRAFT
Any contrivance now known or hereafter invented, used or
designed for navigation or for flight in the air. The word "aircraft"
shall include helicopters and lighter-than-air dirigibles and balloons.
COMMERCIAL HANDBILL
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 of literature
which:
A.
Advertises for sale any merchandise, product, commodity or service;
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; or
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, but the terms of this subsection
shall not apply where any admission fee is charged or a collection
is taken up for the purpose of defraying the expenses incidental to
any meeting, theatrical performance, exhibition or event of any kind.
GARBAGE
Putrescible animal and vegetable waste resulting from either
the handling, preparation, cooking or consumption of food.
HANDBILL
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 of literature.
The word "handbill," as utilized throughout this chapter, shall be
deemed to include any commercial handbill.
LITTER
Garbage, rubbish, refuse, commercial handbills, handbills
and newspapers as such are defined, and including, in addition, building
and construction debris and any other matter or material which, if
thrown or deposited as herein prohibited, tends to create a danger
to public health, safety and welfare.
NEWSPAPER
Any newspaper of general circulation, whether the same is
paid or free, or whether it is primarily designed to report the news
or as a form of commercial advertising, which is either delivered
locally or through mails. It is intended that this definition of "newspaper"
be given a broad interpretation to cover all local, regional, statewide
or national newspapers.
PARK
Any park, playground, recreation center or any other public
place in the town owned or used by the town and devoted to active
or passive recreation.
PERSON
Any natural person, firm, partnership, association, corporation,
company, public utility or organization of any kind.
PRIVATE PREMISES
Any dwelling, 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,
and shall include any yard, grounds, walk, driveway, porch, steps,
vestibule or mailbox belonging or appurtenant to such dwelling, house,
building or other structure.
PRIVATE PROPERTY
Any privately owned or occupied lands or premises, including
property owned or occupied by any public utility.
PRIVATE RECEPTACLE
A litter storage and collection receptacle or system as may
be required in the town's regulations as to solid waste disposal
and disposal of garbage and trash.
PUBLIC PLACE
Any and all streets, sidewalks, alleys or other public ways
and any and all public parks, squares, spaces, grounds and buildings.
PUBLIC STRUCTURE OR BUILDING
Any structure or building owned or operated by the federal,
county or state government or any governmental agency.
REFUSE
All putrescible solid wastes, except body wastes, including
garbage, rubbish, ashes, street cleanings, dead animals, abandoned
automobiles, dismantled automobiles and parts thereof, scrap metal,
junk, machinery and solid market and industrial wastes.
RUBBISH
Nonputrescible solid wastes, consisting of both combustible
and noncombustible wastes, such as papers, wrappings, cigarettes,
cardboard, tin cans, yard clippings, leaves, wood, glass, bedding,
crockery, building materials and similar materials.
TOWN
The Town of Frankfort, County of Herkimer and State of New
York.
VEHICLE
Every vehicle 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 other public place within the town, except in public receptacles
or in authorized private receptacles for collection; provided, however,
that said public receptacles shall not be used by persons owning or
occupying property in the vicinity of said public receptacles for
the deposit of domestic, commercial and industrial litter arising
from the conduct of said activities.
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 private property.
No person shall sweep into or deposit in any gutter, street
or other public place within the town the accumulation of litter from
any building or lot or from any public or private sidewalk or driveway.
No person owning or occupying a place of business shall sweep
into or deposit in any gutter, street or other public place within
the town 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 town shall keep the sidewalk in front
of their business premises free of litter.
No person shall throw or deposit litter in any park except in
public receptacles and in such manner as to prevent such litter 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 litter shall be carried from the park by the
person responsible for its presence and shall be properly disposed
of elsewhere.
No person shall throw or deposit litter in any fountain, lake,
pond, stream, bay or any other body of water.
No person in an aircraft shall throw out, drop or deposit within
the town any litter, handbill, commercial handbill or other object.
No person shall throw or deposit litter on any private property
within the town, 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. 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 town, whether owned by such person or
not.
Notwithstanding the above, any owner of private property may
deposit litter on a private landfill on the owner's property
so long as it does not violate the laws, rules or regulations of the
State of New York or the Town of Frankfort.
The owner, agent, lessee, tenant, occupant or other person who
manages or controls a building or lot shall be jointly or severally
responsible for keeping the sidewalk, flagging, curbstone and the
air shafts, areaways, backyards, courts, parking lots and alleys free
from litter.
It is hereby declared to be a duty of the owner or operator
of a takeout restaurant, delicatessen or luncheonette to provide not
fewer than one authorized private receptacle for the receipt of trash,
litter, paper, napkins, cups and remnants of food and nonfood items
at each exit, available to the patrons as they leave the premises.
If the owner or operator of the same shall fail to provide such receptacles,
he shall be fined, upon conviction, as provided in this chapter.
Any code enforcement officer or building inspector of the Town
of Frankfort or any police agency or constable is hereby empowered
and authorized to exercise such powers as may be necessary or convenient
to carry out and effectuate the purposes and provisions of this chapter.
Any person or persons, association, firm or corporation who
shall violate any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty
of an offense and shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to
pay a fine of not less than $100 nor greater than $1,000, together
with the costs of prosecution and for the removal of litter which
has been disposed of illegally, or shall be imprisoned for a period
not exceeding 60 days, or be both so fined and imprisoned. The violation
of each provision of this chapter shall constitute a separate offense
and shall be punishable as such hereunder. Each day such violation
is committed or permitted to continue shall constitute a separate
offense and shall be punishable as such hereunder.
[Added 9-18-1990 by L.L. No. 6-1990]
A. The owner of property is presumed to be any person in whose name
the property appears on the town's real property tax assessment
records.
B. The owner of property is presumed to be the person in management
and control of that property.
C. Where any refuse that is deposited in violation of this chapter contains
material such as mail, documents or the like which specifically identifies
a person or address, it shall be presumed that the person so identified
is responsible for the illegal placement of said litter.
D. Any presumption set forth in Subsections
A,
B and
C above may be rebutted, but the defendant has the burden of rebutting such presumption by preponderance of the competent evidence.