Yolo County Municipal Code Art. 3 Waste Collection

(a) Unless exempted pursuant to this Section, the Owners or Occupants of all Single-Family, Multi-Family and Commercial Premises shall subscribe to weekly Discarded Materials Collection services provided by an authorized County Franchisee. In addition, unless exempted pursuant to this Section, all Owners and Occupants of Single-Family Premises in a Densely Populated Area shall subscribe to bi-weekly Recyclables Collection and Organics Collection services provided by an authorized County Franchisee.

(b) All Owners and Occupants of Single-Family Premises, Multi-Family Premises and Commercial Premises are considered subscribers, without the need for a signed contract or similar arrangement with an authorized County Franchisee.

(c) The Owner, or by special arrangement approved by the Department, the Occupant, of any Single-Family, Multi-Family, or Commercial Premises may apply to the Department to be exempt from the mandatory service requirement set forth in subsection (a) above. Such application shall be made on a form supplied by the Department, and shall be granted provided the Owner or Occupant can demonstrate one or more of the following:

(1) The Owner or Occupant will personally haul away all Discarded Materials and Recyclable Materials at least as frequently as once every other week, but no less than 26 times per calendar year to an approved facility. The method of collecting and hauling away such materials must be consistent with the intent of this Chapter and any conditions imposed by the Department, including the requirement that such activities occur in a manner that will not create unsanitary conditions, potential public health threat, environmental contamination or nuisance;

(2) The Premises are presently undeveloped, such that no Discarded Materials are generated thereon;

(3) The Premises are vacant for a period in excess of two months (e.g., renovation, property for sale, extended vacation) such that no Discarded Materials will be generated thereon;

(4) The Premises is inaccessible due to weight limitations of Contractor provided trucks and both Contractor and County have verified such limitations;

(5) The Single-Family Premises owner has demonstrated that they actively Compost both Yard Trimmings and Food Waste onsite or have other means for diverting such waste and therefore have been granted an exemption from Residential Organics services;

(6) Accessory dwelling unit in immediate proximity of Single-Family Premises that is serviced by Contractor and has sufficient container size to accommodate waste of two households;

(7) Vacation hold may only apply once per calendar year if requested by Customer, however, in no event shall collection service or billing be placed on hold for more than 3 weeks;

(8) Two neighboring parcels are owned by members of the same family and one Single- Family Premises owner has sufficient container size to accommodate waste of two households;

(9) The Single-Family Premises owner has demonstrated that they have a commercial solid waste and recycling dumpster in their name within Yolo County that they agree to haul their residential waste to for proper disposal and recycling.

(d) The mandatory service requirement set forth in subsection (a), above, also shall not apply to any Premises owned by a school district, city or county, or by the State of California or the federal government.

(e) The Department may for good cause permit additional exemptions provided that such exemptions will not create an unsanitary condition, potential public health threat, environmental contamination or nuisance. Any Owner or Occupant that is granted an exemption under subsections(c) or (e) shall, at such intervals as are reasonably established by the Department, provide proof to the Department of compliance with the requirements set forth herein and any additional requirements or conditions imposed by the Department.

(f) An exemption may be revoked by the Director of the Community Services Department or designee upon a finding that there is a violation of any of the requirements of this Section or the exemption, or that an unsanitary condition, potential public health threat, environmental contamination or nuisance condition is being created.

(g) Any exemption issued shall be valid for a period of one year and is non-transferable. The exemption may be renewed at the end of one year upon reapplication and demonstration that the terms and condition of the exemption(s) still exists.

(§ 2, Ord. 1378, eff. Sept. 4, 2008, as amended by § 2, Ord. 1529, eff. November 19, 2020)

All Discarded Materials shall be placed in acceptable Containers, with the exception of Yard Trimmings that will be Disposed of by the Generator or collected by a Franchisee that has not provided a Container for Yard Trimmings. The following Containers are acceptable for the deposit of such materials:

(a) Containers supplied by a County Franchisee or other enterprise eligible to provide Collection services under this Chapter, generally referred to as "Carts." The Owner or Occupant shall maintain such Carts in a reasonably clean condition. Upon the Owner or Occupant's request, such Carts may either be steam cleaned or replaced by the Franchisee, and the Franchisee will remove any graffiti. There will generally be no charge for such services unless, in the case of steam cleaning, such cleaning is requested by an Owner or Occupant more frequently than reasonably necessary to maintain a clean appearance.

(b) Other Bin-type Containers, adequate in capacity and, if Owner or Occupant receives Collection services provided for in this Chapter, structurally designed so as to be compatible with the Collection equipment used by County Franchisees or other enterprise eligible to provide Collection services under this Chapter.

Carts or Bins shall be kept continuously closed, except when Discarded Materials, Recyclable Materials or Organics are being placed therein or removed therefrom, and shall at all times be closed against the access of flies, rodents and other animals. Such Carts or Bins shall be of a size approved by the Department as being adequate for the particular use or occupancy of the Premises using the Carts or Bins. The Owner or Occupant of the Premises shall keep all Carts or Bins closed or covered at all times, sanitary, and emptied on a regular schedule as required by this Chapter.

(§ 2, Ord. 1378, eff. Sept. 4, 2008, as amended by § 2, Ord. 1529, eff. November 19, 2020)

The Owner or Occupant of any Single-Family, Multi-Family, or Commercial Premises shall maintain a sufficient number of acceptable Containers for receiving and holding, with the Cart or Container lid fully closed, all Discarded Materials, Recyclable Materials or Organics produced, created, deposited, or accumulated upon their Premises, and all such Discarded Materials, Recyclable Materials or Organics shall be deposited in such Containers with the exception of Yard Trimmings that will be Disposed of by the Generator or collected by a Franchisee that has not provided a Container for Yard Trimmings. In determining the sufficiency of the number of Containers required, the following minimum standards shall apply:

(a) Single-Family Residential Units. A minimum of one 64-gallon Container for Discarded Materials, one 96-gallon Cart for Recyclable Materials, and one 96-gallon Cart for Organics. Unless otherwise requested by an Owner or Occupant, a County Franchisee will provide separate Containers for Discarded Materials and Recyclables.

(b) Multi-Family Residential Units, Motels, Hotels, and Trailer or Mobile Home Parks. A minimum of one 64-gallon Container for Discarded Materials and one 96-gallon Cart for Recyclable Materials per dwelling unit, unless a lesser number or alternative arrangement, such as the use of Bins or Drop Boxes, is negotiated with a County Franchisee providing such services. Premises receiving Collection service from a County Franchisee will receive 64-gallon Containers for each unit.

(c) Commercial Premises. Commercial Premises are to make appropriate Container, Bin, Drop Box, or Compactor arrangements with County Franchisees to enable compliance with the provisions of this Chapter requiring the weekly removal and Disposal of Discarded Materials, weekly removal of Recyclable Materials and weekly removal of Organics as mandated by State Assembly Bill (AB 341) and Assembly Bill (AB1826).

(§ 2, Ord. 1378, eff. Sept. 4, 2008, as amended by § 2, Ord. 1529, eff. November 19, 2020)

(a) Single Family Residences. Discarded Materials Containers shall be placed at the Curb/Roadside for Collection unless a County Franchisee agrees to collect such Containers from an alternative location due to the disability of a Customer. Curb/Roadside placement shall occur no earlier than 5:00 p.m. on the day prior to Collection, and emptied Containers shall be removed from the Curb by 7:00 a.m. on the day after Collection, except for the Old Willowbank community where Containers shall be removed from the Curb by 9:00 a.m. on the day after Collection. Except for Containers placed at the Curb/Roadside for Collection, Discarded Materials Containers, including any Recyclables Containers, or Organics Containers, shall not be placed or allowed to remain in or on any street or alley right-of-way unless authorized by the Department.

(b) All Other Premises. Carts, Bins, Containers, Drop Boxes or Compactors, as applicable, shall be placed in a location that is easily accessible for Collection, to be decided between the Owner or Occupant and an authorized County Franchisee.

(§ 2, Ord. 1378, eff. Sept. 4, 2008, as amended by § 2, Ord. 1529, eff. November 19, 2020)

Single-Family Residential Units within the Old Willowbank area of unincorporated Davis, shall be required to have loose pile Yard Trimmings Collection provided by the County Franchisee.

(§ 2, Ord. 1529, eff. November 19, 2020)

Yard Trimming piles are authorized for Collection by County Franchisee subject to the following regulations:

(1) Only Yard Trimming waste may be placed in piles, provided that:

(a) Tree trunks and branches may not have a diameter greater than eight inches, or length greater than five feet;

(b) Grass clippings and dropped fruit from Premises trees shall be placed in Organics Collection Cart unless the Cart is already full or has been reasonably reserved for other Organics; and

(c) No Yard Trimmings piles shall exceed five feet in width or five feet in height or five (5) feet in length.

(§ 2, Ord. 1529, eff. November 19, 2020)

Yard trimming piles are authorized to be placed adjacent to or in the street for scheduled collection by County Franchisee subject to the following regulations:

(1) Inorganic material (rock, dirt, gravel, concrete, etc.) and painted or treated wood are not yard waste and shall not be placed in piles for collection.

(2) Depending on the nature of the property, yard waste piles shall be placed either adjacent to or in the street.

(A) If the property has an unpaved shoulder, bare soil, or gravel area adjacent to the street, placement shall be adjacent to the street.

(B) If the property has curbs and gutters or does not have an unpaved shoulder, bare soil, or gravel area adjacent to the street, placement shall be in the street.

(2) Yard waste piles shall be placed in front of the property from which the waste was originated except:

(A) Such piles may be placed in front of the property of a different owner or occupant, provided that such owner or occupant has given his or her permission to do so.

(B) If the yard waste originates on a flag lot or landlocked property which the County’s contract hauler does not service or on a cul-de-sac property where placement adjacent to the property would be inconsistent with paragraph (a)(4) of this ordinance, such piles and the trash, recyclable and organics waste carts for such a property may be placed in front of a nearby property of a different owner or occupant, provided that (i) such owner or occupant of the nearby property has given his or her permission to do so or (ii) if such permission has not been given, the County has independently determined that a specified location in front of a nearby property would be reasonable and appropriate for placement of such yard waste piles and the trash, recyclable and organics waste carts.

(3) No yard waste piles shall be placed or maintained:

(A) in any part of a designated bicycle lane;

(B) in such a way as to restrict reasonable gutter drainage or reasonable access to a fire alarm box, fire hydrant, mailbox, standpipe, alley, driveway, public sidewalk, curb cut for accessibility access, or any other public facility; or

(C) on street undulations, traffic calming bulb-outs or near obstructions in the street that restrict the County contract hauler’s equipment from collecting yard waste piles or trash, recyclable and organics waste carts.

(4) Yard waste piles shall be placed for collection no sooner than seven (7) days before a scheduled collection day and no later than 6:00 a.m. on a scheduled collection day.

(5) No person shall park or let stand any vehicle or any other item in the street that blocks the County contract hauler’s equipment from collecting yard waste piles or trash, recyclable and organics waste carts.

(6) As used in this Section 6-17.307, the terms “trash cart,” “recyclables cart” and “organics waste cart” mean such carts that have been authorized by the County or provided by a County contract hauler to an owner or occupant of a property.

(§ 2, Ord. 1529, eff. November 19, 2020)