Morristown curbside trash summonses: The Sequel

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Is it time to bag Morristown’s trash ordinance?

Last year, as many as 50 residents were summoned to municipal court for alleged violations of a well intentioned but poorly crafted town law requiring placement of curbside trash into receptacles.

Now, another round of citations has gone out. And just like before, officials are trying to put a lid on the $109 fines.

Mayor Tim Dougherty said Tuesday that town inspectors have jumped the gun, writing tickets before getting authorization from Administrator Jillian Barrick, and before the town has sent postcards reminding residents to secure their trash properly.

“I will ask the municipal prosecutor to dismiss any recent citations until the postcards go out,” town Attorney David Minchello said during the 35-minute hybrid council meeting.

Even so, ticketed residents still may need to appear before a judge. And even if their fines are waived, they still may get socked with $50 court costs–just like in 2022. Minchello said he will try to have those costs forgiven, but success is iffy at best.

“The court is autonomous. I certainly will make that request. But I can’t say if they will go along,” the lawyer responded to Councilman Stefan Armington, who inquired if court fees could be circumvented by conducting the hearings via Zoom.

Once the postcards go out, residents will receive warnings before getting ticketed for trash violations, Dougherty said. He did not say how many residents have been tagged.

Some fines were dismissed last year after an angry resident pointed out ambiguities in the ordinance. Enforcement had been beefed-up in response to June complaints about rodents in a Third Ward neighborhood where residents were not using garbage barrels.

Contrary to those citations, the ordinance allowed double-bagging of trash. The council corrected that oversight last December, amending the measure to mandate curbside trash must be in a container with a lid that closes.

On Tuesday, the council also fielded a resident’s complaints about slow and nonfunctioning pedestrian crossing signals near West Park Place, South Park Place and South Street; the Spring Street/Spring Place intersection; and the new traffic roundabout at Spring and Morris streets.

The mayor noted that roadways around the Morristown Green are under the state Department of Transportation’s jurisdiction. But residents were encouraged to report signal problems to Barrick, for further investigation.

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6 COMMENTS

  1. I just got the flyer in the mail. I can’t wait until I go away and have to leave the can out for days. Will I get fined for that too? Or maybe I’ll have to hire a trash can sitter to attend to it? And will the Town be responsible when the criminals watch for the cans to be brought in, as it is now a clear signal no one is home.

  2. I just got the flyer in the mail. I can’t wait until I go away and have to leave the can out for days. Will I get fined for that too? And will the Town be responsible when the criminals watch for the cans to be brought in, as it is now a clear signal no one is home.

  3. Well, I checked the town code section 13-48, Housing and property maintenance code regarding garbage disposal by owner and / or occupant, and section 19-2.4 and 19-2.5 regarding garbage containers and contents of garbage. Finally, I checked the new ordinance O-35-2022. A lot to read about a trashy subject!

  4. More time, money and effort wasted on a ridiculous trash can ordinance. A blanket law for the masses to regulate a select few.

  5. I was one of the people who received a summons. The council has not actually corrected anything. The town distributed the annual Sanitation & Recycling Information sheet in January and it still says “All garbage must be placed in stable, freestanding containers with secure lids or in securely tied plastic bags.” So now they are trying to trap people with fines by having the ordnance that no one reads say one thing while the information they hand out door to door say something else.

    I received a call from the head of code enforcement saying it was a mistake but from everything else I am being told, I will still have to appear in court. It’s absurd that the town requires a court appearance for throwing away a bag of garbage.

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