The city of Lorain is cracking down on regulations regarding donation bins within the city.
The city passed legislation in September setting regulations for donation bins, meaning all bins must have a permit. Notices were issued to property owners and charities stating that they had until 2017 to comply with the new regulations.
"The intent is to clean up the city," said Dan Given, Lorain Safety Service Director. "We need to have more control over these donation bins. They are popping up all over the place, and in many cases they are not being maintained."
The regulations are:
- All donation bins must have permits clearly posted on the side of the box prior to public placement.
- Bin owners (charities) must apply for the permit with a $100 fee and renew the permit yearly for $100.
- Bin owners must have written consent from property owners to have their bins at any particular location.
- Bins can be a maximum of 6 feet tall x 5 feet x 5 feet.
- Bins cannot be in residential areas.
- Bins must be emptied every two weeks and cannot overflow. If this happens, bin owners will be cited and property owners may be cited as well.
- Every day that the bin is overflowing is a minor misdemeanor offense, and each day is its own offense. The penalty is a fine.
- If a bin owner is cited, convicted and cited again, it becomes a fourth-degree misdemeanor, carrying up to 30 days in jail or a $250 fine.
- The city is not responsible for cleaning up the property.
The city has compiled a list of more than 90 bins within Lorain, but only one company has applied for a permit as of Dec. 31.
