Teen's recycling work causes conflict in city

No citations have yet been issued against the family.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD -- There is a conflict brewing here between city officials and a local family over a teenager's attempt to earn pocket money through recycling.
City officials say Steven Griffin, 17, of Kline Street, is collecting recyclable metal, bringing it to the home, breaking it down and selling the material for scrap. Safety Director Jerry Lambert said such a business cannot be conducted in a residentially zoned area.
Officials first took notice of the Kline Street address after a neighbor called authorities to complain about a property line dispute with the family.
The neighbor was at the police department as recently as Tuesday complaining about the family, police Chief Frank Bigowsky said, and the neighbor also has complained to several other officials about late-night noise and activity at the Griffin home.
The neighbor has filed several police reports on the family. One member of the Griffin family will appear in Girard Municipal Court today to face menacing charges stemming from the ongoing situation with the neighbor.
Lambert and Bigowsky both said they believe a member of the family is running a business at the address. Officials from the police department and zoning department have been to the residence, but no citations have been issued against the family.
Lambert said operating a business in a residential area is illegal, and the city has laws that address late-night noise. He said work is believed to continue late into the evening at the home.
"There are a couple of things there that just aren't kosher. There is a noise factor and a zoning factor," he said. "The type of thing they are trying to do in that neighborhood is just illegal."
Response
Amanda Griffin, the homeowner, said there is no business operating at the home and what city officials are attempting to stop amounts to nothing more than a 17-year-old boy who is recycling large items for cash.
Griffin said her stepson has been collecting the items and recycling them.
"This keeps him out of trouble. He doesn't do drugs, get into trouble or any of those things," she said. "I would rather see him do this than to get into drugs and trouble."
The front and rear yards of the Griffin home on Kline Street were clear of any debris Tuesday afternoon. The only visible sign of recycling was a small pickup truck with large metal objects in the bed.
Griffin said her stepson's activities would not be an issue if not for the constant calls to city officials by her neighbor. She said the calls and activities by the neighbor are tantamount to harassment. No other neighbors have had a problem with the family, she said.
Griffin said the family has been at the address only a few months, but they have placed the home up for sale and are planning to move.