National City Municipal Code Ch. 7.14 Litter, Debris and Rubbish

Sections:

* Noncodified list of cross-references:

Health and Sanitation - NCMC Title 9

Weed Abatement - NCMC Chapter 1.12 California Health and Safety Code

"Litter" means garbage and rubbish as defined herein, and all other loose material which, if thrown, deposited or allowed to accumulate as herein prohibited, tends to create a danger to public health, safety and welfare, and which is not within a receptacle provided therefor.

(Ord. 1812 (part), 1984)

This chapter has no effect upon and in no way modifies, waives or supersedes the provisions of the National City weed abatement regulations as set forth in Chapter 9.12 of this code.

(Ord. 1812 (part), 1984)

This chapter is supplemental to Chapters 7.10 (Garbage and Refuse Collection) and 7.12 (Accumulation of Junk) of this code, adding provisions dealing with the careless and random scattering of rubbish and refuse. It does not, in any way, modify, waive or supersede the requirements of those chapters.

(Ord. 1812 (part), 1984)

A. General Prohibition. No person shall throw, deposit or accumulate litter in or upon any public place or private premises as hereinbefore defined within the city, except while such person is temporarily engaged in clearing the public place or private premises of litter or improving the public place or private premises.

B. Litter on Streets Prohibited. No person or persons shall leave, discard, deposit, throw away or cause to be left, discarded, deposited or thrown away, any container of any type material, waste, food paper, wood, trash or any refuse upon any street, alley, gutter, sidewalk or parkway.

C. Deposit of Sweepings upon Street Prohibited. It is unlawful for any person, firm, company or corporation to deposit upon any sidewalk or street within the city any sweepings from any sidewalk, stairway or other opening leading to the street or sidewalk. All such sweepings or materials from any sidewalk or any other opening leading to the street or sidewalk within the city shall be removed in a pan, shovel or other container and placed in a receptacle for rubbish.

D. Littering Parks Prohibited. No person shall throw or deposit litter in any park within the city except in public receptacles and in such a manner that the litter will be prevented from being carried or deposited by the elements upon any part of the park or upon any street or other public place. Where public receptacles are not provided, all such litter shall be carried away from the park by the person responsible for its presence and properly disposed of elsewhere as provided herein.

E. Depositing Litter on Occupied Private Property Prohibited. No person shall throw or deposit litter on any occupied private property within the city, whether owned by such person or not; except, that the owner or person in control of private property may maintain authorized private receptacles for collection in such a manner that litter will be prevented from being carried or deposited by the elements upon any street, sidewalk or other public place or upon any private property.

F. Deposit of Litter on Vacant Lots Prohibited. No person shall throw or deposit litter on any open or vacant private property within the city, whether owned by such person or not.

G. Debris Dropped from Vehicles Prohibited on Streets. No person shall throw, deposit or drop, or cause to be thrown, deposited or dropped, any dirt, debris, boulders, pebbles, hardpan, rock, glass or any material whatsoever on any street in the city, or permit any dirt, debris, pebbles, hardpan, rock, boulders, or glass to drop, roll or leak from any vehicle on any street in the city. It is unlawful for any person to place upon the surface of the street, alley or public place in the city any nails, broken glass, sharp implements, crushed rock, or any other substance tending to cause injury to the tires of vehicles passing along such street, alley or public place. In the event that such debris is deposited on any street in the city, the director of public works shall require the person responsible to immediately remove the debris and clean the street right-of-way. In the event that the city undertakes to effect such cleanup, the cost thereof shall be charged to the person responsible.

H. Throwing Litter from Vehicles Prohibited. No person, while a driver or passenger in a vehicle, shall throw or deposit litter upon any street or other public place within the city, or upon private property.

I. Depositing Litter in Fountains, Lakes, Ocean, etc. No person shall throw or deposit litter in any fountain, pond, lake, stream, ocean, bay or any other body of water in a park or elsewhere within or partly within the city.

J. Scattering Waste Paper, Lunch Remains, etc. To leave or scatter about any boxes, empty or otherwise, waste paper, remains of lunches, newspaper or rubbish of any kind, except that such material and matter may be left and deposited in receptacles provided for such purpose.

K. Dropping Litter from Aircraft Prohibited. No person in an aircraft shall throw out, drop or deposit within the city any litter, handbill or any other object.

L. Every person operating tow vehicles on public streets or alleys is responsible for the pickup and removal of all residue from vehicle collision scenes, from which such operator is engaged in the removal of damaged vehicles. Such pickup shall be done at the time of the vehicle removal.

(Ord. 1812 (part), 1984)

It shall be the duty of all owners and occupants of buildings in the city and the duty of all owners of vacant lots in the city to keep the sidewalks adjacent to such premises clean and free of any container of any type of material, waste, food, paper, wood, trash, or any refuse; and all noxious weeds and vegetation; and discarded chewing gum.

(Ord. 1812 (part), 1984)

All provisions of this chapter apply to the placement and removal of dead, diseased or injured animals. See also Title 8 of this code.

(Ord. 1812 (part), 1984)

A. It is unlawful to place or divert stormwater into any sewer.

B. It is unlawful to place any sewage or any other liquid or material of any kind, except stormwater, into a public or private storm drain.

(Ord. 1812 (part), 1984)

A. In accordance with the provisions of the California Administrative Code, litter receptacles meeting acceptable standards shall be placed in public places including, but not limited to the following:

1. Drive-in restaurants and fast food outlets;

2. Gasoline service stations;

3. Shopping centers;

4. Grocery stores;

5. Boat launching and take-out areas;

6. Boat mooring and fueling stations;

7. Public piers;

8. Parks and campgrounds;

9. Beaches;

10. Outdoor parking lots which have the capacity of fifty or more automobiles and which are contiguous to the public places listed herein;

11. Movie theaters and playhouses.

Litter receptacles shall be required to be in place at the above locations only when such places are open to the public.

B. Receptacle Standards. Standards for the design, marking and maintenance of litter receptacles shall be established by the public works director. All such receptacles shall be made with noncombustible materials and shall have self-closing lids.

C. Property Owner Responsibility. The owner or person in control of any private property shall at all times maintain the premises free of litter; provided, however, that the storage of litter in authorized private receptacles for collection is not prohibited.

D. Abuse or Improper Use of Litter Receptacles Prohibited.

1. No person shall damage, deface, abuse, misuse or set afire any litter receptacle not owned by him so as to interfere with its proper function or to detract from its proper appearance.

2. No person shall deposit leaves, clippings, pruning or gardening refuse in any litter receptacle.

3. No person shall deposit household refuse or garbage in any litter receptacle; provided that this subsection shall not be construed to mean that waste food consumed on the premises at any public place may not be deposited in litter receptacles.

E. Use of Receptacles. Persons placing litter in authorized public or private receptacles shall do so in such a manner as to prevent it from being carried or deposited by the elements onto any public place or private premises.

(Ord. 1812 (part), 1984)

All owners, contractors and builders of structures shall, upon the completion of any such structure, gather up and haul away at their sole cost and expense, all refuse of every nature, description or kind, which has resulted from the building of such structure, including all lumber scraps, shingles, plaster, brick, stone, concrete and other building material, and shall place the lot and all nearby premises utilized in such construction in a clean and sanitary condition.

(Ord. 1812 (part), 1984)

A. The owner or person in control of any private property shall at all times maintain the premises free of litter; provided, that this section shall not prohibit the storage of litter in authorized private receptacles for collection.

B. Owners of Premises—Maintaining Adjacent Public Place Free of Litter. Persons owning or occupying private premises within the city shall keep the public place abutting or adjacent to such premises free of litter, except while such person is temporarily engaged in clearing the public place and adjacent private premises of litter or improving such public place or private premises. No person owning, occupying, or controlling private premises shall sweep into or deposit in any public place within the city the accumulation of litter from any private premises or public place.

C. Owner or Occupant Responsibility to Maintain Sanitary Premises. Every owner, tenant, occupant or person owning or having the care and control of any premises in the city shall keep the premises or those under his care and control in a clean sanitary condition, and no person shall permit any garbage, rubbish, or any other substance which may be or will become offensive to be deposited or to remain in or upon any premises owned or occupied by him or under his care and control except as otherwise provided by law. It shall be the responsibility of such person to provide for collection and disposal of the contents of litter receptacles personally or by means of the services of the contract agent or the city.

No person shall cause or permit rubbish to accumulate at any place or premises under his charge or control for a period in excess of one calendar week.

(Ord. 1812 (part), 1984)

A. It is the responsibility of the respective property owner(s) to prevent, control and remove litter from all vacant or unoccupied property. Being a nonresident property owner in no way relieves such responsibility.

(Ord. 1812 (part), 1984)

The abatement of litter is subject to all the provisions of Section 7.12.090.

(Ord. 1812 (part), 1984)