The short title of this article shall be "The Yard Residuals Collection Facility Ordinance," and the same may be cited in that manner. The purpose of this article is for the Township of Spring to provide collection facilities to the residents of the Township for Yard Residuals and regulate the use of such facilities.
[Adopted 6-14-2004 by Ord. No. 306 (Ch. XII, Part 4, of the 2013 Code of Ordinances)]
[Amended 10-10-2023 by Ord. No. 457]
Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the following terms used in this article shall have the following meanings:
A computerized card used to operate the gate at the yard residuals collection facility.
The Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act, Act of July 28, 1988, P.L. 528, as now or hereafter amended.
Township designated facility for the collection of Yard Residuals.
Any individual, company, or entity, including Contractors, skilled in the development and decorative planting of gardens and grounds, and/or any individual, company, or entity offering or performing services relative to the maintenance of yards or grounds in exchange for money or other consideration.
Any individual, company, or entity that undertakes, offers to undertake, or agrees to perform maintenance, improvement, new construction, remediation, or renovation services with regard to commercial, residential, industrial, or public buildings, structure, and/or other improvements. The term includes subcontractors or independent contractors.
An individual, company or entity in the business of mowing grass on lawns.
The Township of Spring, Berks County, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Shall consist solely of grass clippings and woody materials such as tree limbs, shrubs, slashings and brush.
[Amended 3-24-2025 by Ord. No. 466]
The Township hereby designates two areas in the Township to provide for the collection of Yard Residuals as follows:
A.
Located in the Township of Spring along Reedy Road near the Township Sanitary Sewer Treatment Plan ("Yerger Blvd Collection Facility"); and
B.
Goose Lane located east of Sage Drive on Goose Lane ("Goose Lane Collection Facility"). (Yerger Blvd Collection Facility and Goose Lane Collection Facility are hereinafter referred to as the "Collection Facilities.")
[Amended 10-10-2023 by Ord. No. 457; 3-24-2025 by Ord. No. 466]
A.
Use of the Collection Facilities shall be by the following regulations:
(1)
All Yard Residuals shall be deposited directly into the dumpsters or an area indicated by signs.
(2)
Yard residuals hauled to the site in plastic bags must be emptied into the dumpsters or emptied at an area indicated by signs. No plastic bags are to be left at the site. Biodegradable paper bags can be placed directly into dumpsters or in an area indicated by signs.
(3)
Only Yard Residuals shall be accepted at the Collection Facilities. No other type of construction, renovation, and/or demolition wastes, recyclable material, rubbish, residual, trash, waste, municipal solid waste, hazardous waste, garbage, other refuse, sod, dirt, stones, grass, broken concrete, bricks, other masonry, whole trees, landscape logs, railroad ties, stumps, metal of any kind, or other similar waste material to the aforementioned is accepted at the Collection Facilities.
(4)
Only residents of the Township of Spring may use the Collection Facility (NOTE: See Intermunicipal Agreement Ordinance No. 343 allowing the residents of the Borough of Sinking Spring to access the Collection Facility).
(5)
Commercial landscapers, lawn mowing companies, and other similar entities shall be prohibited from using the Collection Facilities.
(6)
The hours of operation for the Yerger Blvd Collection Facility as specified by § 380-22A shall be from 6:00 a.m. through 9:00 p.m., May 1 through September 30, and 6:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m., October 1 through April 30. The hours of operation for the Goose Lane Collection Facility as specified by § 380-22B be from 7:00 a.m. through 8:00 p.m., April 1 through October 31, and 7:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m., November 1 through March 31. Any dates and times herein are modifiable by the Board of Supervisors of the Township via resolution.
(7)
The Township shall have the power to adopt additional rules and regulations for any Collection Facility via resolution.
B.
The Township shall have the power to adopt additional rules and regulations relating to this article and to the use of the Collection Facility.
[Amended 10-10-2023 by Ord. No. 457; 3-24-2025 by Ord. No. 466; at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
A. LEAF WASTE YARD WASTE
For purposes of this subsection only, the following terms shall have the meanings defined below:
Leaves, garden residues, shrubbery and tree trimmings, and similar material, but not including grass.
Leaves, grass clippings, garden residue, tree trimmings, chipped shrubbery and other vegetative material. This term does not include construction, renovation, and demolition wastes, municipal, solid, residual, municipal, or hazardous waste.
B.
Use of the Collection Facilities as specified by § 380-23 shall be subject to the following regulations:
(1)
An Access Card must be obtained from the Township to enter and use the Collection Facilities by presenting a driver's license (or, in the case of a nonresident landowner, a tax bill) and paying a fee for initial issuance, and a fee for renewal of the same annually. The Board of Supervisors of the Township may amend the fees from time to time via resolution.
(2)
Only one Access Card will be issued per household. An Access Cards shall not be given to anyone outside of such household to whom it was issued. Lost or damaged Access Cards must be reported to the Township. A replacement Access Card will thereafter be issued by presenting a driver's license (or, in the case of a nonresident landowner, a tax bill) and paying a fee in an amount as set from time to time by resolution of the Board of Supervisors.
(3)
All Yard Waste and Leaf Waste material shall be deposited directly into an area indicated by signage or into appropriate dumpsters, if provided.
(4)
Only Yard Waste and Leaf Waste shall be accepted at the Collection Facilities.
(5)
Only residents/property owners of the Township may purchase an Access Card to use the Collection Facilities.
(6)
Commercial Landscapers, Lawn Mowing Companies, Contractors, and other similar entities are prohibited from using the Collection Facilities.
(7)
Only Class I, II, and III vehicles may access the Collection Facilities, except that dual rear-wheel pickup trucks are permitted to the extent that they otherwise do not qualify as Class III vehicles. Class IV vehicles and above, including, without limitation, work and dump trucks, stake body trucks, panels, and other similar vehicles, are strictly prohibited. For purposes of this section, "classes" of vehicles shall be those as set forth in Appendix C (Vehicle Types) of the National Highway Administration's annual Traffic Monitoring Guide, as may be amended from time to time. Dump trailers, if used by Commercial Landscapers, Lawn Mowing Companies, and/or Contractors, are strictly prohibited.
[Amended 10-10-2023 by Ord. No. 457; at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision of this article shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding brought before a Magisterial District Judge under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, be guilty of a summary offense and shall be punishable by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000, plus costs of prosecution. In default of payment thereof, the defendant may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days. Each instance or day of violation constitutes a separate offense.
The provisions of this article are severable. If any provision of this article or its application to any person or circumstance within the Township is held invalid, said invalidity shall not affect any other provision or application of this article which can be given effect.