SHARON Landlords to remove trash left behind
Mayor David Ryan said he is tired of sending city crews to clean up debris.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
SHARON, Pa. -- City landlords will soon be responsible for cleaning up any garbage left behind by their tenants.
City council passed the first of two required readings Thursday of a residential garbage disposal ordinance that will require landlords to clean up any debris left by a tenant who vacates a property.
Mayor David O. Ryan requested the ordinance, saying he is tired of sending city street department workers to clean up piles of garbage and trash left behind when people move out of rental properties.
The city had three calls about garbage left behind Thursday, he said.
Those guilty of the offense either didn't have pick-up contracts with the city's designated garbage collector or didn't pay their bills so the garbage company won't pick up the debris, Ryan said.
His plan is to give landlords just a couple of days to clean up the mess or face a city citation in court. It might make them more careful about whom they rent to, he said.
Councilwoman Chris Outrakis said she's wanted to see such a law enacted for the past several years.
Council President Fed Hoffman said he is aware of a big pile of refuse left behind by a renter at a home on White Avenue and predicted that the mayor will be getting a call about that one soon, too.
Other matters
In other business, council:
UPassed first reading of an ordinance that will require homeowners to get a certification from the city that their home's downspouts are not connected to the municipal sanitary sewer system before the property can be sold.
They'll have to pay $100 for that certification.
Finance Director Michael Gasparich said a state Department of Environmental Protection order dealing with sanitary sewer overflows in Sharon requires that all downspouts be removed from sanitary lines and drained into storm sewers instead.
The city got about one-third of the 7,000 homes in town checked in previous efforts and found many were illegally connected to sanitary lines, Gasparich said.
Going about the process this way should take care of most of the rest over a 20-year period, he said.
UCame up with $2,500 to help fund the annual Nov. 20 Light Up Night kicking off the holiday season.
Sharon had been contributing $10,000 each year but allocated no money for 2003 because of a very tight municipal budget.
The $2,500 will be taken from travel and consultant line items in the budget.
gwin@vindy.com