For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:
GARBAGE
The accumulation of animal or vegetable matter, or both, liquid or otherwise, that tends to decay.[1]
PROPERTY and PREMISES
Unless restricted or limited by the context to either real or personal property, they shall include both.
PUBLIC PLACE or PUBLIC BUILDING
Severally mean any and every public place or building within the Village which is within the jurisdiction and control of the Village, is or may be in general use by all citizens and in which all persons have an equal right of passage at will.
RUBBISH
Includes coal or wood ashes, all loose material and all waste material accumulated from buildings or from the cleaning of buildings.
[Amended 10-13-1992 by Ord. No. 2375]
SANITARIAN
Includes every officer appointed by the Division to aid in the enforcement of the sanitary laws of the state or to aid in the enforcement of the rules, regulations and ordinances of the Division except the Health Officer, Secretary, Registrar or other persons performing principally clerical duties in the Office of the Division.
TENANT
Any person occupying any house, building or portion thereof which is returned, leased, let or hired out to be occupied as a house, residence or a business establishment.
[1]
Editor's Note: The definition of "Health Officer," which immediately followed this definition, was deleted 10-13-1992 by Ord. No. 2375. See now definition of "Sanitarian."
No person shall put, deposit or leave any rubbish, refuse or other material in or upon any of the sidewalks or gutters of streets, public places, parking lots or public buildings.
No person shall put, deposit or leave any rubbish, refuse or offensive material and equipment in or upon his private property or upon the private property of another whereby the same may be detrimental to the health, safety and welfare of the public.
Every owner, lessee, tenant, occupant or person in charge of any building or premises shall keep the sidewalks, air shafts, areaways, backyards, courts and alleys free from garbage, refuse, rubbish, litter and other offensive material.
[Amended 5-9-1988 by Ord. No. 2151]
Except as required by this chapter and pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the Village Manager, no person shall cause to be placed any receptacle for refuse, garbage, rubbish, litter and other offensive material outside any commercial building, etc., that is visible from a public street or adjoining property unless an enclosure is provided for storage.
[Amended 5-9-1988 by Ord. No. 2151]
A. 
To comply with the standards promulgated by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Clean Communities Program, litter receptacles are required to be kept and maintained at the following public places in the Village:
(1) 
Pedestrian sidewalks adjacent to commercial areas to the extent that there shall be no single linear quarter-mile without a litter receptacle.
(2) 
Buildings held out for use by the public, including schools, governmental buildings, railroad and bus stations, parks, drive-in restaurant areas, construction sites, gasoline service stations and gasoline service station islands, shopping centers, parking lots, beaches and bathing areas, and, in addition, at special events to which the public is invited, including sporting events, parades, carnivals, circuses and festivals.
B. 
It is the intention of this section that adequate receptacles as prescribed by rules and regulations promulgated by the Village Manager shall be placed and maintained for the purpose of collecting and disposing of pedestrian litter.
[Amended 12-14-2005 by Ord. No. 2963]
A. 
Purpose. The purpose of this section is to establish requirements to control littering in the Village of Ridgewood so as to protect public health, safety and welfare, and to prescribe penalties for the failure to comply.
B. 
Definitions and word usage. For the purpose of this section, the following terms, phrases, words and their derivations shall have the meanings stated herein unless their use in the text of this section clearly demonstrates a different meaning. 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.
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 lighted/flaming or glowing material or any garbage, trash, refuse, debris, rubbish, grass clippings or other lawn or garden waste, newspapers, magazines, glass, metal, plastic or paper containers or other packaging, or construction materials; or any dirt, sand, gravel, clay, loam, stone or building rubbish, hay, straw, oats, sawdust, shavings or other light materials of any sort of manufacturing, or ashes, manure, or other organic refuse or other offensive matter.
LITTER RECEPTACLE
A container suitable for the depositing of litter.
PERSON
Any individual, corporation, company, partnership, firm, association, or political subdivision of this state subject to municipal jurisdiction.
C. 
Prohibited acts and regulated activities.
(1) 
It shall be unlawful for any person to throw, drop, discard or otherwise place any litter of any nature upon any public street; public place; private property or any vacant or unused land not owned by said person.
(2) 
Whenever any litter is thrown or discarded or allowed to fall from a vehicle or boat in violation of this section, the operator or owner, or both, of the motor vehicle or boat shall also be deemed to have violated this section.
D. 
Enforcement. The provisions of this section shall be enforced by the Village of Ridgewood Police Department, and/or the Construction Official, and/or the Health Department Sanitarian, and/or the Director of Public Works or his/her designate representative.
E. 
Violations and penalties: Any person(s) who is found to be in violation of the provisions of this section shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $1,000. Chapter 165, § 165-48 of the Code of the Village of Ridgewood shall be modified by this section to establish a minimum fine of $25 and a maximum fine of $1,000.
No person shall throw, cast or distribute or cause or permit to be thrown, cast or distributed any handbill, circular, card, booklet, placard or other advertising matter whatsoever in or upon any street or public place or in a front yard or courtyard or on any stoop or in the vestibule of any hall in any building or in a letter box therein, provided that nothing herein contained shall be deemed to prohibit or otherwise regulate the delivery of any such matter by the United States Postal Service or prohibit the distribution of sample copies of newspapers regularly sold by the copy or by annual subscription. This section is not intended to prevent the lawful distribution of anything other than commercial and business advertising matter.
A. 
No person shall prevent or interfere with any employee of the Division of Solid Waste Control in the sweeping or cleaning of any street or in the removal of sweepings, ashes, garbage, rubbish, snow, ice or other refuse material.
B. 
No person other than an authorized employee or agent of the Division of Solid Waste Control shall disturb or remove any ashes, garbage or light refuse or rubbish placed by householders or their tenants or by occupants or their servants within the stoop or area line or in front of houses or lots for removal, unless requested by residents of such houses.
All food establishments, restaurants and food processing places and all retail and wholesale business establishments shall provide a room to store garbage or refuse; the floor of such room is to be concrete at finish grade level. The room may be attached to the main structure with no opening directly to the main building. The structure of such room must be of masonry construction, properly ventilated, insect- and rodentproof. The size of such room is to be determined by the estimated volume of garbage and/or refuse. The provisions of this section shall apply only to new construction or material alterations of existing structures.
A. 
Any person engaged in the business of commercial landscaper, tree surgeon, arborist, gardener or horticulturist performing services within the Village shall remove all waste resulting from any such service rendered.
B. 
Any person constructing new structures or altering existing structures within the Village shall remove all waste resulting from such activity.
[Added 9-13-1988 by Ord. No. 2178]
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 travelers or public property shall immediately cause the public property to be cleaned of all glass or objects and shall pay the costs therefor.
Pursuant to the authority contained in N.J.S.A. 40:48-2.13 and 40:48-2.14, the owner or tenant of any land or premises lying within the Village, where it shall be necessary and expedient for the preservation of the public health, safety, general welfare or to eliminate a fire hazard, shall remove from such lands brush, weeds, dead and dying trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious growths, filth, garbage, trash and debris within 10 days after written notice to remove the same is sent to the last known post office address of such owner or tenant by registered mail.
[Amended 10-13-1992 by Ord. No. 2375; 8-8-2018 by Ord. No. 3658]
The notice provided by § 165-14 shall be sent by the Department of Health and Welfare, the Village Sanitarian, the Village's designated Code Enforcement Officer, the Parks and Recreation Department, and/or the Engineering Division of the Department of Public Works. The notice shall describe the articles or matter to be removed and shall provide an opportunity to such owner or tenant within 10 days of the date mailing of such notice to show cause before the department representative sending such notice why the removal therein required should not be complied with.
A. 
In case any owner or tenant shall fail to remove any such article or matter within the ten-day period after receipt of such notice or within such time as may be granted after appearing before the officer sending the same as above provided, then the Department of Health and Welfare or the Sanitarian may, on behalf of the Village, cause such land and premises to be entered upon and such articles or matter removed and disposed of as may be necessary or expedient.
[Amended 10-13-1992 by Ord. No. 2375]
B. 
Whenever the Director of Public Safety, his agent or deputy shall cause the removal of any article or matter pursuant to the provisions of this section, such officer shall certify the cost thereof to the Village Council, which shall examine the certificate and, if found correct, shall cause the cost as shown thereon to be charged against such lands; the amount so charged shall forthwith become a lien upon such lands and shall be added to and become and form part of the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon such lands, the same to bear interest at the same rate as taxes, and shall be collected and enforced by the same officers and in the same manner as taxes.
[Amended 10-13-1992 by Ord. No. 2375; 8-8-2018 by Ord. No. 3658]
This chapter may be enforced by the Construction Official, the Village Sanitarian, the Village's designated Code Enforcement Officer, the Parks and Recreation Department, and the Engineering Division of the Department of Public Works and/or members of the Police Department and Fire Department of the Village in accordance with the provisions set forth.