§ 14-7. Commercial refuse collection.

The owner, manager, tenant, or occupant of any commercial property, establishment or building or the agent or employee of any such person shall comply with the following minimum standards:

1.

Types of receptacles for commercial refuse collection .

A.

City-provided commercial refuse collection . For the city to collect municipal solid waste from commercial property or establishments, commercial garbage and refuse shall be placed for collection by city garbage trucks only in city-issued containers. Other disposable receptacles may be placed for collection only if approved in writing by the director.

B.

Cardboard boxes . Cardboard boxes may be used as receptacles for cardboard and paper only, provided they are securely closed to prevent blowing, spilling and scattering of cardboard or paper therein, and provided that boxes used for this purpose are able to maintain their structural integrity when lifted. Such boxes shall not exceed four (4) feet in greatest dimension or weigh more than a combined weight (container and its contents) of thirty-five (35) pounds. When cardboard boxes alone are placed for collection they shall be broken, flattened and tied in bundles not exceeding four (4) feet in greatest dimension. Any cardboard placed for collections that is not broken, flattened and tied in bundles not exceeding four (4) feet in greatest dimension will incur an extra charge as provided for by this chapter.

2.

Minimum standards of receptacles for all commercial property refuse collection . The owner, manager, tenant or occupant of any commercial property premises or building, or the agent or employee of any such person shall ensure that the receptacles used comply with the following minimum standards:

A.

They must fully contain the waste. No overflow of waste out of the container shall be permitted. The container shall have a tight fitting lid and shall be fully closed (tied, taped or somehow enclosed) to prevent the scattering of the contained debris.

B.

They shall be of sufficient strength to prevent the rupturing of the container and the subsequent scattering of the contained waste.

C.

They shall be leak proof to prevent the spilling of any liquid wastes.

D.

They shall be kept clean, free of odors and in good condition.

E.

All receptacles and the location in which they are placed shall be kept in a clean condition.

F.

Any dumpster used for storage and removal of accumulations of MSW or garbage from commercial property shall not be located within thirty (30) feet of any residence and in no event shall the dumpster be located less than ten (10) feet from the property line if the abutting property has a single-family structure. Such dumpster shall not be located on public property. The owner of each dumpster shall see that each dumpster is disinfected for all types of insects at least once each week.

G.

Receptacles must be maintained in good repair and free of holes, cracks, rusted or decayed bottoms and splits and shall at all times be kept covered. City will be responsible for maintenance of city-issued containers due to normal wear and tear.

3.

Commercial manual collection. Wastes from restaurant-related activities shall comply with the following:

A.

The owner, manager, tenant or occupant of any commercial establishment or building or the agent or employee of any such person shall segregate trash generated from restaurant related activities into three (3) categories consisting of garbage/trash, grease and slop wastes.

B.

The owner, manager, tenant or occupant of any commercial establishment or building or the agent or employee of any such person shall make separate provisions for the proper collection of these categories and commingling of such categories is not permitted.

C.

The owner, manager, tenant or occupant of any commercial establishment or building or the agent or employee of any such person shall clean stains or spots resulting from the collection of these wastes immediately.

D.

Cardboard recycling is mandatory for all commercial establishments.

E.

Places of excessive accumulations of garbage and rubbish, such as but not limited to, killing and dressing plants for fowl and animals, restaurants, meat markets, grocery stores, cafeterias, hotels, apartments, condominiums and other similar commercial establishments may also be serviced by the city solid waste department and such accumulations shall then be removed and disposed of at the expense of the owner or person having care, custody and control of the same; provided that the owner or person responsible for and having care, custody and control of such accumulations shall have the city solid waste department remove and dispose of such accumulations of garbage and rubbish not less than two (2) times per week. In cases involving larger volumes of garbage, rubbish, and refuse, the solid waste director may require, upon written notice to the owner or person in charge, more frequent removal and disposal of such accumulations per week at the applicable extra charges listed in the schedule of rates established in this chapter. The solid waste director may grant a variance on the frequency of removal of garbage in cases where the volume, days of operation, type of container and type of garbage produced merits removal less than two (2) times per week.

4.

Placement and removal of receptacles city and commercial manual curbside collection) .

A.

In the event that night time collection is arranged, receptacles (except for detachable containers such as dumpsters and roll-offs) in the Central Business District shall be placed out for manual collection no sooner than 5:00 p.m. of the day preceding the collections day but no later than 12:00 midnight of the day preceding the day of collection. It shall be unlawful for the owner, manager, tenant or occupant of any commercial establishment or building, or the agent or employee of any such person, to place, allow or suffer to remain receptacles containing solid waste after 3:00 p.m. of the day of collection.

B.

In the event daytime collection is arranged, receptacles (except for detachable containers such as dumpsters and roll-offs) in the Central Business District (CBD) shall be placed out for manual collection no sooner than 9:00 a.m. but no later than 3:00 p.m. on the day preceding collection. It shall be unlawful for the owner, manager, tenant or occupant of any business establishment or building, or the agent or employee or any such person to place, allow or suffer to remain receptacles containing solid waste after 3:00 p.m. on the day following collection.

C.

In other (non-CBD) areas of the city, receptacles (except for detachable containers such as dumpsters or roll-offs) shall be placed out for collection no sooner than 7:00 p.m. of the day preceding the day of collection. All receptacles shall be removed from the curb by 7:00 p.m. on the day of collection.

5.

Time of collection . The person producing solid waste shall comply with the time set for collection in this section.

6.

Commercial collection of special waste including hospital-related wastes and infectious wastes . These types of wastes will be collected in accordance with Texas Department of Health regulations. It shall be the duty of any person disposing of special waste to comply with TDH regulations.

(Ord. No. 2012-06, § 1, 3-6-2012)