The following definitions shall apply in the interpretation and enforcement of this article:
City.
The City of Atlanta, Texas or its authorized agents.
Contractor.
The person, firm or corporation which may from time to time perform waste collection and disposal services under contract with the city.
Bin.
A metal receptacle designed to be lifted and emptied mechanically for use at Commercial and Industrial Units.
Residential Container, Can or Bag.
Container is the 95-gallon polycart provided each customer by the city; bag or plastic sack designed to store refuse with sufficient wall strength to maintain physical integrity when lifted by the tip; total weight of each bag or sack not to exceed thirty-five (35) lbs.
Residential Unit.
A dwelling occupied by a person or group of persons comprising not more than four families. A condominium dwelling consisting of four or less contiguous or separate single family units, shall be treated as a residential unit, except that each single-family dwelling unit receiving separate water billing shall also be billed separately for waste collection and disposal service.
Residential Refuse.
All garbage and rubbish generated by a customer at a residential unit
Commercial and Industrial Unit.
All premises, locations or entities, public or private, requiring refuse collection and not falling within the definition of a residential unit.
Hazardous Waste.
Any chemical, compound, mixture, substance or article which is designated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency or appropriate agency of the state to be “hazardous” as that term is defined by or pursuant to federal or state law.
(Ordinance 385, adopted 7/18/88, Section 1; Ordinance 2013-04 adopted 8/5/13)
As of the fifteenth day of August, 1988, the city operated landfill shall be permanently closed and it shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to dump or deposit any sort of waste material or debris therein.
(Ordinance 385, adopted 7/18/88, Section 2)
(a) 
The contractor has been granted by the city the exclusive license to provide all waste and refuse collection and disposal service within the city. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to engage in such activity unless written authority has been obtained from the city.
(b) 
Each resident and every commercial or industrial account is required to have a solid waste account with the city. It shall be unlawful for any resident, business or industrial account to fail to, or refuse to, subscribe to a sanitation account.
(c) 
It is hereby declared and made unlawful for any person to deposit trash, garbage, or refuse of any type in or in close proximity to any trash or garbage container, bin or receptacle located within the city limits unless the person is the owner or lessee of the container, bin or receptacle or unless the person is the owner, lessee, tenant, or person in control of the property upon which the container or receptacle is located or is the agent of such person or persons. It is further unlawful for any person to dump or dispose of private household or commercial waste or trash in any receptacle or bin owned or leased by the city which may be located on public property.
(d) 
Any person who shall violate any provisions of this article shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be liable to a fine, and upon conviction of such violation, shall be fined in accordance with the general penalty provision found in section 1.106 of this code.
(Ordinance 2016-002 adopted 4/18/16)
(a) 
Curbside services will be provided for residential refuse to each residential unit once per week. All refuse must be placed at curbside by no earlier than 5:00 p.m. a day before the designated collection day, and no later than 7:00 a.m. on the designated collection day. Carts must be removed from the curb and stored behind the front building line not later than 7:00 a.m. the day following the designated collection day.
(b) 
All customers are required to utilize the 95-gallon cart provided by the city as the primary means of pickup. Carts lids are required to be closed. No bags are authorized to be set by the curb unless the cart is full.
(c) 
No more than a combined total of three (3) bags of refuse or bundles of limbs or brush described in Section 11.506 may be placed outside the container. All bags shall be closed and sealed. Customers who regularly generate more than three extra bags outside the cart shall be required by the city manager to receive and be billed for an additional cart. It is prohibited to set bags or bundles outside the cart when the cart is not full.
(d) 
The schedule for such collection days will be announced from time to time by the city in the newspapers and on radio. Backdoor collections shall only be made in those instances wherein occupants provide the city manager medical certification that the occupants are unable physically to place refuse containers at curbside due to illness, age, infirmity or other specifically described inability. Approval or disapproval of such requests shall reside in the city manager.
(e) 
Residential customers whose cart is damaged, destroyed or lost shall be assessed a replacement fee on their monthly utility bill. The fee shall be $60.00.
(Ordinance 2013-04 adopted 8/5/13)
All premises, locations or entities, public or private, requiring refuse collection and not classed as a residential unit shall be deemed to be a commercial or industrial unit. Such units which generate 95 gallons or more per week shall be required to either order up to one additional cart service per week or use bin service provided by the contractor. The frequency or collection for commercial and industrial units shall be agreed between the customer and city, taking into account the quantity of refuse generated, the service desired and the rates for collection and disposal. In any event, the decision of the city manager shall be final.
(Ordinance 2013-04 adopted 8/5/13)
All customers shall keep garbage or industrial waste separate from brush or trash. All tree trimmings, large hedge trimmings, shrubs and trees not exceeding three (3) inches in diameter shall be cut in lengths not exceeding fifty (50) inches in length and shall be bundled securely in sizes not exceeding forty (40) lbs. and shall be placed at curbside.
(Ordinance 385, adopted 7/18/88, Section 6)
The fees for the collection and disposal of all solid waste, brush and trash from residential units and for commercial and industrial units are set forth separately in Annex “A”, as provided for in the fee schedule found in the appendix of this code. Such fees shall become effective on the first day of August, 1988, and may be changed from time to time by the city by resolution or ordinance of the city council.
(Ordinance 385, adopted 7/18/88, Section 8)
(a) 
The charges for the collection of solid waste, garbage, trash and refuse as provided herein shall be billed monthly by the city along with water and sewage service to each customer; the charge for collection and disposal of refuse shown separately. All charges for services levied hereunder shall be payable at the office of the City Water and Sewer Department at the city hall.
(b) 
Failure to pay charges assessed under the terms of this article within thirty (30) days after rendition of a bill shall be considered notice to the Customer that the city will discontinue water and refuse collection service and that the Customer’s deposits in the Water and Sewer Department will be applied to satisfy the amount of the unpaid and past-due bill. Prior to reconnection of water and the resumption of refuse collection service, the Customer shall make a new deposit and shall pay such fees as are current for the reconnection service.
(Ordinance 385, adopted 7/18/88, Section 9)
All rock, waste, scrap building material or other trash resulting from construction or major remodeling, and all trees, brush and debris cleared from property in preparation for building or construction shall not be classified as garbage, refuse or brush under the terms of this article. The removal of such material shall be the responsibility of the owner and/or contractor of the project.
(Ordinance 385, adopted 7/18/88, Section 10)
No person, firm or corporation shall permit to accumulate on its premises garbage, brush, trash, refuse, debris or solid industrial waste, whether such waste is accumulated in covered containers or by other methods. It shall be unlawful for any person to cause or permit to be or remain in upon any premises private or public any animal, vegetable or mineral matter, or any compositions or residue thereof which is in an unsanitary condition or injurious to public health as may be determined by the city health officer.
(Ordinance 385, adopted 7/18/88, Section 11)
It shall be unlawful to dump, bury or dispose of waste of any kind within the city limits of the City of Atlanta by any other means than as provided for by this article except as may be designated by the city.
(Ordinance 385, adopted 7/18/88, Section 12)
Any person, firm or corporation who fails, neglects or refuses to comply with, resists the enforcement of or violates any of the provisions of this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined in accordance with the general penalty provision found in Section 1.106 of this code. Each day that a violation is permitted to exist shall constitute a separate offense.
(Ordinance 385, adopted 7/18/88, Section 13)
(a) 
The fees will be as provided in the fee schedule in the appendix of this code.
(b) 
The monies collected are to be used for maintaining service and providing labor at the delivery site.
(c) 
Prohibited Items to be Placed at This Site:
Tires, batteries, paints, solvents, thinners, pesticides or other chemicals, animal carcasses, brush or limbs exceeding eight inched (8") diameter, tree stumps and all wood must be free of metal such as: nails, fence wire, etc.
(Ordinance 2003-07 adopted 8/18/03)