[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Oyster Bay 8-18-2020 by L.L. No. 5-2020. Amendments noted where applicable.]
It has come to the attention of the Town Board that there has been a proliferation of the number of collection bins in the Town, seeking the donation of items of personal property. In some instances, commercial enterprises are soliciting donations of clothing and other items of personal property to bins with the appearance that such items of personal property will be used for charitable purposes. However, such commercial enterprises may thereafter be selling such personal property with little or no benefit to any charitable organizations. Furthermore, the location of certain bins has encroached on required off-street parking, and the failure to properly maintain these bins has created a quality-of-life issue for the residents of the Town. It is the purpose of this chapter to prohibit commercial enterprises from soliciting donations of items of personal property, including but not limited to clothing, by the furnishing of collection bins on commercial properties which result in proceeds that do not benefit charitable organizations; limit the number and location of collection bins; and to provide enforceable standards for these bins.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
COLLECTION BIN
Any container or receptacle held out to the public as a place for people to drop off articles of personal property, including but not limited to clothing, and to store such items until carted away.
A. 
No person or other legal entity shall hold any collection bin out to the public for people to drop off articles of personal property, including but not limited to clothing, unless the proceeds from the sale of such personal property shall be utilized for charitable purposes.
B. 
No person or other legal entity shall place or maintain any collection bin on any premises open to the public except when issued a permit for same by the Department of Planning and Development.
C. 
The owner, lessee, or other person or legal entity in control of the property where the collection bin is being maintained and the person or entity which owns, maintains or operates the collection bin in violation of this chapter shall be jointly and severally liable for such violation(s) therefor.
A. 
Any person or entity wishing to place or utilize a collection bin within the unincorporated area of the Town of Oyster Bay in a place that is open to the public must obtain a permit from the Department of Planning and Development. This requirement applies to all collection bins existing at the time of the adoption of this chapter, and all subsequent collection bins.
B. 
Only entities or organizations that have a tax status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, may apply for and obtain a permit. Proof of such tax status must accompany an application for a permit.
C. 
Collection bins may only be located on:
(1) 
Those properties located in either a Light Industry (LI) District or a General Business (GB) District; or
(2) 
A property owned by an entity that has a tax status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, regardless of which zoning district the property is located in.
D. 
The number of collection bins allowed on any parcel, or number of contiguous parcels owned by the same person or entity, shall be limited to two.
E. 
The permit issued by the Department of Planning and Development shall delineate the size and location of the collection bin and the material of which the bin is constructed.
F. 
Collection bins must be located and maintained in accordance with the rules adopted and promulgated by the Commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development.
G. 
A collection bin must have clearly identified, in writing, on its face the entity or organization that is maintaining the collection bin. A phone number and address for such entity must also be written on the collection bin. Additionally, a collection bin that is subject to the provisions of this chapter is hereby required to have conspicuously placed upon it a sticker provided by the Department of Planning and Development, indicating that the collection bin has been permitted by the Town of Oyster Bay for use in connection with charitable purposes at a specific location designated on the permit. All collection bins in existence on the effective date of this chapter shall have such sticker placed upon it no later than 60 days after the effective date of this chapter. It shall be a violation of this chapter for any such sticker to be removed or covered, except upon permission of the owner of the collection bin to which it is affixed and the Department of Planning and Development. Any collection bin without a sticker as provided herein shall be presumed to be in violation of this chapter. No collection bin with a sticker affixed to it as provided herein shall be relocated or removed from any private property except upon 10 days' prior written notice sent by the private property owner to the owner of the collection bin, to the Commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development, by certified mail, return receipt requested, advising of such intent to relocate or remove the collection bin from the property, and, if relocated, a new permit including the new location of the bin must be issued by the Department of Planning and Development and affixed to the relocated collection bin.
H. 
There shall be no fee for an application or permit to place a collection bin subject to the provisions of this chapter at any location.
[Amended 3-7-2023 by L.L. No. 4-2023]
A. 
The owner, lessee, or other person or legal entity in control of the property where a collection bin has been placed or is being maintained in violation of this chapter or in violation of the permit issued by the Department of Planning and Development, and the rules applicable to such permit, and the person or entity which owns, maintains, or operates a collection bin in violation of this chapter shall be jointly and severally liable therefor.
B. 
Code Enforcement Officers of the Department of Planning and Development and the Nassau County Police Department are hereby authorized to issue summonses or appearance tickets, returnable in the District Court of Nassau County, or notices of violation returnable before the Bureau of Administrative Adjudication, for any violations of this chapter.
C. 
Any such violation shall be categorized as a petty offense, punishable by a fine of up to $250 per violation, per day. Each day that the offense(s) shall continue shall be considered a separate violation.
D. 
Any person or entity found by the Bureau of Administrative Adjudication to have violated any provision of this chapter is likewise subject to a monetary penalty within the range of fines authorized in this section.
E. 
Additionally, the Town Attorney may, in an appropriate case, institute an injunction action in the name of the Town to assure compliance with the terms of this chapter, including the removal of a collection bin.
In the event that any provision of this chapter shall be deemed illegal or otherwise unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, then only that specific provision shall not be enforced, and all other sections and provisions shall remain in full force and effect.