LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - Lafayette residents who leave their garbage or recycling carts on the curb more than 24 hours after collection will face a larger cumulative fine, up to $150 a year.
The Advertiser reports (https://bit.ly/1j7igO1 ) the City-Parish Council on Tuesday tweaked an ordinance dealing with garbage collection, increasing the maximum accumulative fine from $100 to $150 per property per calendar year.
The council also eased a penalty that required a lien on the property if someone has not complied with the ordinance after seven incidences. Currently, the ordinance requires public works to file the lien. The council amended the ordinance to give public works the option, but not to require the lien.
Mark Pope, environmental quality manager, said the intent is to change behavior, not necessarily to punish people. A first offense gets a warning letter. If the same resident violates the ordinance again within two weeks, they’re fined, he said.
In 2013, 57 warning letters were sent to residents who didn’t pull their garbage cans at least three feet from the curb within 24 hours of pickup, Pope said. Eleven were assessed fines, three paid the fines and eight did not, he said.
In 2014, 10 warning letters have been sent and no fines assessed, Pope said.
No liens have been filed against anyone to date, he said.
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Information from: The Advertiser, https://www.theadvertiser.com
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