[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of
Kidder 5-12-1987 by Ord. No. 52. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Kidder Township
Anti-Litter Ordinance.”
A.
AIRCRAFT
AUTHORIZED PRIVATE RECEPTACLE
COMMERCIAL HANDBILL
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
GARBAGE
LITTER
NEWSPAPER
NONCOMMERCIAL HANDBILL
PARK
PERSON
PRIVATE PREMISES
PUBLIC PLACE
REFUSE
RUBBISH
TOWNSHIP
VEHICLE
For the purpose of this chapter the following terms, phrases,
words, and their derivations shall have the meaning given herein:
Any contrivance now known or hereafter invented, used or designated
for navigation or for flight in the air. The word "aircraft" shall include
helicopters and lighter-than-air dirigibles and balloons.
A litter storage and collection receptacle as used by the citizens
of Kidder Township to convey litter to trash haulers for collection.
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 advertises for sale any merchandise, product, commodity, or thing;
or
Which 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
Which 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 clause shall
not apply where an admission fee is charged or a collection is taken up for
the purpose of defraying the expenses incident to such meeting, theatrical
performance, exhibition, or event of any kind when either of the same is held,
given or takes place in connection with the dissemination of information which
is not restricted under the ordinary rules of decency, good morals, public
peace, safety and good order; or[1]
Which, while containing reading matter other than advertising matter,
is predominantly and essentially an advertisement, and is distributed or circulated
for advertising purposes, or for the private benefit and gain of any person
so engaged as advertiser or distributor.
Putrescible animal and vegetable wastes resulting from the handling,
preparation, cooking and consumption of food.
"Garbage," "refuse" and "rubbish" as defined herein and all other
waste material, which, if thrown or deposited as herein prohibited, tends
to create a danger to public health, safety and welfare.
Any newspaper of general circulation as defined by general law, any
newspaper duly entered with the Post Office Department of the United States,
in accordance with federal statute or regulation, and any newspaper filed
and recorded with any recording officer as provided by general law, and, in
addition thereto, shall mean and include any periodical or current magazine
regularly published with not less than four issues per year, and sold to the
public.
Any printed or written matter, any sample or device, dodger, circular,
leaflet, pamphlet, newspaper, magazine, paper, booklet, or any other printed
or otherwise reproduced original or copies of any matter of literature not
included in the aforesaid definitions of a “commercial handbill”
or “newspaper.”
A park, playground, recreation center or any other public area in
the Township, owned or used by the Township and devoted to active or passive
recreation.
Any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation, company
or organization of any kind.
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.
Any and all streets, sidewalks, boulevards, alleys or other public
ways and any and all public parks, squares, spaces, grounds, and buildings.
All putrescible and nonputrescible solid wastes (except body wastes),
including garbage, rubbish, ashes, street cleanings, dead animals, abandoned
automobiles and solid market and industrial wastes.
Nonputrescible solid wastes consisting of both combustible and noncombustible
wastes, such as paper wrappings, cigarettes, cardboard, tin cans, yard clippings,
leaves, wood, glass, bedding, crockery and similar materials.
The Township of Kidder, Carbon County, Pennsylvania.
Every device 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 rail or tracks.
B.
When not inconsistent with the context, words used in the present
tense include the future, words used in the plural number include the singular
number, and words used in the singular number include the plural number. The
word "shall" is always mandatory and not merely directory.
No persons shall throw or deposit litter in or upon any roadway, sidewalk
or other public place within the Township except in public receptacles or
in authorized private receptacles for collection.
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 roadway, sidewalk or other public place
or upon private property.
No person shall sweep into or deposit in any gutter, roadway or other
public place within the Township the accumulation of litter from any building
or lot or from any public or private sidewalk or driveway. Persons owning
or occupying property shall keep any areas in front of their premises free
of litter.
No person owning or occupying a place of business shall sweep into or
deposit in any gutter, roadway or other public place within the Township 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 Township shall keep any areas in front and rear of their business premises
free of litter.
No person, while a driver or passenger in a vehicle, shall throw or
deposit litter upon any roadway or other public or private place within the
Township, or upon private property.
No person shall drive or move any truck or other vehicle within the
Township unless such vehicle is so constructed or loaded as to prevent any
load, contents or litter from being deposited upon any street, alley or other
public place. Nor shall any person drive or move any vehicle or truck within
the Township, the wheels or tires of which carry onto or deposit in any roadway,
alley or other public place mud, dirt, sticky substances, litter or foreign
matter of any kind.
No person shall throw or deposit litter in any park within the Township
except in public receptacles and in such a manner that the litter will be
prevented from being carried or deposited by the elements upon any part of
the park or upon any roadway or other public place. Where public receptacles
are not provided, all such litter shall be carried away from the park by the
person responsible for its presence and properly disposed of elsewhere as
provided herein.
No person shall throw or deposit litter in any fountain, pond, lake,
stream, or any other body of water in a park or elsewhere within the Township.
No person shall throw or deposit any commercial or noncommercial handbill
in or upon any sidewalk, roadway or other public place within the Township,
nor shall any person hand out or distribute or sell any commercial handbill
in any public place. Provided, however, that it shall not be unlawful on any
sidewalk, roadway or other public place within the Township for any person
to hand out or distribute, without charge to the receiver thereof, any noncommercial
handbill to any person willing to accept it.
No person shall throw or deposit any commercial or noncommercial handbill
in or upon any vehicle. Provided, however, that it shall not be unlawful in
any public place for a person to hand out or distribute without charge to
the receiver thereof a noncommercial handbill to any occupant of a vehicle
who is willing to accept it.
No person shall throw or deposit any commercial or noncommercial handbill
in or upon any private premises which are uninhabited or vacant.
No person shall throw, deposit or distribute any commercial or noncommercial
handbill upon any private premises, if requested by anyone thereon not to
do so, or if there is placed on said premises in a conspicuous position near
the entrance thereof a sign bearing the words: "No Trespassing," "No Peddlers
or Agents," "No Advertisement" or any similar notice, indicating in any manner
that the occupants of said premises do desire to be molested or have their
right of privacy disturbed or to have any such handbills left upon such premises.
A.
No person shall throw, deposit or distribute any commercial
or noncommercial handbill in or upon private premises which are inhabited,
except by handling or transmitting any such handbill directly to the owner,
occupant, or other person then present in or upon such private premises. Provided,
however, that in case of inhabited private premises which are not posted,
as provided in this chapter, such person, unless requested by anyone upon
such premises not to do so, may place or deposit any such handbill in or upon
such inhabited private premises, if such handbill is so placed or deposited
as to secure or prevent such handbill from being blown or drifted about such
premises or sidewalks, roadways, or other public places, and except that mailboxes
may not be so used when so prohibited by federal postal law or regulations.
B.
Exemption for mail and newspapers. The provisions of this section
shall not apply to the distribution of mail by the United States, nor to newspapers
(as defined herein).
No person in an aircraft shall throw out, drop or deposit within the
Township any litter, handbill or any other object.
No person shall post or affix any notice, poster or other paper or device,
calculated to attract the attention of the public, to any lamp post, public
utility poles or shade tree or upon any public structure or building, except
as may be authorized or required by law.
No person shall throw or deposit litter on any occupied private property
within the Township, 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 manner that litter will be prevented from
being carried or deposited by the elements upon any roadway, 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. Provided, however, that 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 Township whether owned by such person or not.
A.
Notice to remove. The Township Supervisors are hereby
authorized and empowered to notify the owner of any open or vacant private
property within the Township or the agent of such property to dispose of litter
located on such owner's property which is dangerous to public health,
safety or welfare. Such notice shall be by registered mail, addressed to said
owner at his last known address.
B.
Action upon noncompliance. Upon the failure, neglect or refusal of any owner or agent so notified to properly dispose of litter dangerous to the public health, safety or welfare within 10 days after receipt of written notice provided for in Subsection A above, or within 10 days after the date of such notice in the event the same is returned to the Township Supervisors because of its inability to make delivery thereof, provided the same was properly addressed to the last known address of such owner, or agent, the Township Supervisors are hereby authorized and empowered to pay for the disposing of such litter or to order its disposal by the Township.
C.
Charge for removal. When the Township has effected the
removal of such dangerous litter or has paid for its removal, the actual cost
thereof, plus accrued interest at 6% per annum from the date of the completion
of the work, if not paid by such owner prior thereto, shall be charged to
the owner of such property and forwarded to said owner at his last known address
by registered mail.
D.
Recorded statement constitutes lien. Where the full amount due the Township is not paid by such owner within 10 days after the disposal of such litter, as provided for in Subsections A and B above, then, in that case, the Township Supervisors shall cause to be recorded in the office of the Prothonotary of Carbon County, Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, a sworn statement showing the cost and expense incurred for the work, the date the work was done and the location of the property on which said work was done. The recordation of such sworn statement shall constitute a lien and privilege on the property, and shall remain in full force and effect for the amount due in principal and interest, plus costs of court, if any, for collection, until final payment has been made. Sworn statements recorded in accordance with all provisions hereof shall be prima facie evidence that all legal formalities have been complied with and that the work has been done properly and satisfactorily, and shall be full notice to every person concerned that the amount of the statement, plus interest, constitutes a charge against the property designated or described in the statement and that the same is due and collectible as provided by law.
Any person who violates or permits a violation of this chapter shall,
upon conviction in a summary proceeding brought before a District Justice
under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, be guilty
of a summary offense and shall be punishable by a fine of not 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 day or
portion thereof that such violation continues or is permitted to continue
shall constitute a separate offense, and each section of this chapter that
is violated shall also constitute a separate offense.
