[HISTORY: Adopted by the Council of the City of Northfield as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Parks — See Ch. 250.
Property maintenance — See Ch. 268.
Rodent control — See Ch. 280.
Solid waste — See Ch. 322.
[Adopted 11-4-1971 by Ord. No. 11-1971 (Ch. 79 of the 1974 Code)]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
CITY
The City of Northfield.
LITTER
Any used or unconsumed substance or waste material which has been discarded, whether made of aluminum, glass, plastic, rubber, paper or other natural or synthetic material or any combination thereof, including but not limited to any bottle, jar or can or any top, cap or detachable tab of any bottle, jar or can, any unlighted cigarette, cigar, match or any flaming or glowing material or any garbage, trash, refuse, debris, rubbish, grass clippings or other lawn or garden waste, newspaper, magazine, glass, metal, plastic or paper containers or other packaging or construction material, but shall not include the waste of the primary processes of mining or other extraction processes, logging, sawmilling, farming (five acres or more) or manufacturing.
[Amended 2-21-1989 by Ord. No. 4-89[1]]
LITTER RECEPTACLE
A container suitable for the depositing of litter.[2]
PERSON
Any natural person or any firm, partnership, corporation, association or joint venture.
PUBLIC PLACE
Any and all streets, sidewalks, alleys and roads used by the public, and all public parks, buildings and grounds.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
[2]
Editor's Note: Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
A. 
No persons, including merchants, owning or occupying a place of business shall sweep, rake, throw or deposit or permit any servant, agent or employee to throw or deposit litter in or upon any street, gutter, sidewalk or other public place within the City of Northfield.
B. 
Persons owning or occupying property shall keep the sidewalk in front of their premises free of litter.
C. 
It shall be the duty of the owner, lessee, tenant, occupant or person in charge of any structure to keep and cause to be kept the sidewalk and curb abutting the building or structure free from obstruction or nuisances of every kind, and to keep sidewalks, areaways, backyards, courts and alleys free from litter and other offensive material. No person shall sweep into or deposit in any gutter, street, catch basin or other public place any accumulation of litter from any public or private sidewalk or driveway. Every person who owns or occupies property shall keep the sidewalk in front of his or her premises free of litter. All sweeping shall be collected and properly containerized for disposal.
[Added 2-21-1989 by Ord. No. 4-89]
[Amended 2-21-1989 by Ord. No. 4-89]
A. 
No person, while a driver or passenger in a vehicle, shall throw or deposit any litter upon any street or other public or private property within the City of Northfield.
B. 
It shall be unlawful for any vehicle to be driven, moved, stopped or parked on any highway unless such a vehicle is constructed or loaded to prevent any of its load from dropping, sifting, leaking or otherwise escaping therefrom. Any person operating a vehicle from which any glass or objects have fallen or escaped, which could cause an obstruction, damage a vehicle or otherwise endanger travellers or public property, shall immediately cause the public property to be cleaned of all such glass or objects and shall pay the cost therefor. The person operating shall be deemed to include the driver, the owner of the vehicle and the generator of the debris released. Liability shall be joint and several.
No person shall bring, cart, remove, transport or collect any litter from outside of this City, or bring into this City any litter for the purpose of dumping or disposing thereof, unless authorized by the City.
[Added 4-24-2012 by Ord. No. 3-2012; amended 8-13-2019 by Ord. No. 11-2019]
A. 
Litter shall not be thrown, deposited or be permitted to collect or remain in any place, public or private, where it may affect the health, welfare or safety of the public or render streets or private places unsightly.
B. 
Balloon release.
(1) 
Purpose. This section is adopted in order to protect the environment, particularly the wildlife and marine animals, and the health, safety and well-being of persons and property by prohibiting the release of helium balloons into the atmosphere, including latex and Mylar, as it has been determined that the release of balloons inflated with lighter-than-air gases pose a danger and nuisance to the environment, particularly to wildlife and marine animals so as to constitute a public nuisance and may pose a threat to the safety of its residents and their property. It has further been determined that wildlife and marine animals may mistake balloons for food which can cause severe injury or death to the animal, that many animals become entangled in balloon strings and are injured or strangled to death as a result, that it is necessary to achieve a significant reduction in balloon debris and the environmental harm this debris causes.
(2) 
Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
HELIUM
An inert gas which is lighter than air.
LATEX BALLOONS
Balloons made from latex rubber which is molded into various shapes, and ordinary air, or other gases such as helium, can be forced into them for expansion purposes.
MYLAR BALLOONS
Balloons made of a material called "Mylar," which is a durable metallic material that has a degree of stretch.
(3) 
It shall be unlawful in the City of Northfield for any person, firm or corporation to intentionally release, organize the release of, or intentionally cause to be released balloons inflated with a gas that is lighter-than-air within the City with the exception of the following:
(a) 
Balloon(s) released by a person on behalf of a governmental agency or pursuant to a governmental contract for scientific or meteorological purposes;
(b) 
Hot air balloons recovered after launching;
(c) 
Balloons released indoors.
[Amended 2-21-1989 by Ord. No. 4-89]
A. 
Persons placing litter in receptacles shall do so in such a manner as to prevent the litter from being carried or deposited by the elements upon any street, sidewalk or other public place.
B. 
Required locations.
(1) 
Litter receptacles and their servicing shall be required at the following public places which exist in the municipality, including:
(a) 
Sidewalks used by pedestrians in active retail commercially zoned areas, such that at a minimum there shall be no single linear quarter-mile without a receptacle.
(b) 
Buildings held out for use by the public, including schools, government buildings and railroad and bus stations.
(c) 
Parks, drive-in restaurants.
(d) 
Any street vendor locations if such locations shall be authorized to exist by ordinance.
(e) 
Self-service refreshment areas.
(f) 
Construction sites.
(g) 
Gasoline service station islands.
(h) 
Shopping centers.
(i) 
Parking lots.
(j) 
Campgrounds and trailer parks.
(k) 
Marinas, boat moorage and fueling stations.
(l) 
Boat launching areas.
(m) 
Public and private piers operated for public use.
(n) 
Beaches and bathing areas.
(o) 
At special events to which the public is invited, including sporting events, parades, carnivals, circuses and festivals.
(2) 
The proprietors of these places or the sponsors of these events shall be responsible for providing, servicing and maintaining the receptacles such that adequate containerization is available.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection C, defining "litter receptacle," which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I). See now § 225-1.
A. 
All containers shall be of metal or plastic sufficiently strong for collection purposes and have a capacity of not more than 50 pounds; they shall be watertight and shall have a close-fitting metal or plastic cover.
B. 
All leaves and grass shall be disposed of in accordance with Chapter 315, Solid Waste, Article I, § 315-6.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
C. 
All wood, tree branches and limbs shall be bundled and tied securely, and all bundles shall measure not more than one foot by one foot by three feet long.
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. 
The Health Officer, Building Inspector, Fire Inspector and Zoning Officer are authorized and empowered to notify the owner of any open or vacant private property within the City, 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, and shall state the acts to be performed by such owner or tenant as well as the penalty for failure to comply with such notice.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
B. 
If the owner or tenant to whom notice is sent neglects or refuses to comply with such notice within 10 days of receipt of the same, the litter shall be disposed of by or under the direction of the officer giving the notice, and he shall certify the cost of disposal to the City Council, which shall examine the certificate and, if found correct, shall cause the costs as shown thereon to be charged against the lands involved. Such costs shall be added to the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon such lands, the same to bear interest at the same rate as taxes and to be collected and enforced by the same officers and in the same manner as taxes.
[Amended 2-5-1974 by Ord. No. 1-1974]
[Amended 2-5-1974 by Ord. No. 1-1974[1]]
The penalty for violation of any provision of this article shall be as set forth in Chapter 1, General Provisions, § 1-15.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
[Adopted 10-5-1982 by Ord. No. 9-82 (Ch. 72, Art. II, of the 1974 Code)]
Upon the effective date hereof, it shall be unlawful for any person within the City of Northfield to place on or within public rights-of-way or areas intended for public passage within the City of Northfield any food or foodstuffs unless the same shall be properly containerized as provided by Chapter 315, Solid Waste, Article II, and is placed for the purpose of removal by trash collection.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ANIMALS
An all-inclusive term, and shall include, but not be limited to, humans, cats, dogs, waterfowl, birds, rabbits and rodents.
FOOD or FOODSTUFFS
Any substance commonly used as food or food substitutes for consumption by animals.
PUBLIC RIGHTS-OF-WAY or AREAS INTENDED FOR PUBLIC PASSAGE
Shall be all-inclusive, and common usage shall be applied. The term shall include, but is not limited to, streets, sidewalks, public rights-of-way, and public paths within and without public parks.
The penalty for violation of any provision of this article shall be as set forth in Chapter 1, General Provisions, § 1-15. Each placement of food or foodstuffs on or upon a public right-of-way shall constitute a violation of this article.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).