Pictured, from left, are Claypool Town Council Member Gene Warner, Council President Benny Stage Jr., and Council Member Don Miller. InkFreeNews photo by Liz Adkins.

By Liz Adkins
InkFreeNews

CLAYPOOL – The Claypool Town Council held first readings for ordinances regarding garbage containers and house numbers on residences during a Tuesday, Nov. 18, council meeting.

For garbage containers, council noted in its proposed ordinance that improper placement of containers “may create healthy and safety hazards, attract pests, and detract from the aesthetics of the town.”

The ordinance states garbage containers must be stored behind the front building line of the structure and shall not be visible from the public right-of-way except during permitted collection periods. Containers cannot be placed near the street for pickup prior to 6 p.m. on the evening prior to the scheduled collection date and must be moved from the curbside by 8 p.m. on the day of collection. Garbage also cannot be placed outside of containers at any time.

“The ordinance shall be enforced by the town marshal or his deputies,” reads the ordinance. “Upon determination of violation, the property owner shall be issued a written notice of non-compliance. For instances of non-compliance on trash collection days, including improper placement, timing, or failure to move containers by the specified deadline, property owners shall be fined $50 per instance. For each day the garbage remains out of compliance, property owners shall be fined $50 per day.”

Council also read an ordinance on the display of street address numbers on residential structures, deeming it essential “for the delivery of emergency services, public utilities, and mail delivery.”

Numbers must be affixed on the front-facing side and visible from the street by being plainly visible, unobstructed, “no less than three inches but no more than six inches wide, be color-contrasting with background surfaces, and be permanently affixed or mounted.”

Property owners will receive a written notice of non-compliance from local law enforcement and will have 14 days to bring the property into compliance. Following that, residents will receive a $50 fine per day if still in non-compliance after 14 days. If still in non-compliance after a second 14-day period, property owners will be fined $100 per day.

All collected fines will be placed into the town’s general fund.

The ordinances will be read a second time and up for formal adoption at the council’s December meeting, with the ordinances going into effect 30 days after their adoption.

Council also:

• Reminded residents to place leaves for pickup in biodegradable bags, and to not place leaves into the street.
• Gave Town Marshal Trevor Long permission to take a Claypool Police Department vehicle to Muncie on Saturday, Nov. 22, for funeral services for Corporal Blake Reynolds, a Delaware County Sheriff’s Office deputy who was killed on Nov. 12 in a vehicle accident while in the line of duty.

Council’s next meeting is at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16, at the Claypool Lions Club building.