Officials eye changes to litter ordinance

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NAUGATUCK — Officials are proposing several changes to Naugatuck’s littering ordinance, the largest of which targets collection bins for donations.

Burgess Rocky Vitale presented the changes, which were recommended by the Litter Task Force Committee, to the Board of Mayor and Burgesses last week.

Among the changes is a new section to govern collection boxes — bins that are used to collect donations of items like clothing. The proposed new section requires the owner of a bin to register it at Town Hall. The area around the bins have to be kept clean, the proposal states, and any items left outside bins have to be removed within five business days.

Those who violate this section will receive a written notice, and after three notices the next violation would result in the borough suspending the owner’s registration and the bin would have to be removed. Owners could apply for a new registration after 30 days, under the proposal.

The proposed change also allows the borough to clean up around the bins and bill the registrant, if the area isn’t cleaned.

The changes also set a 72-hour time limit for people who post signs, like for tag sales, to poles and trees to remove them after the event and for people who receive a written notice for a litter violation to clean up the litter. Those who don’t remove signs could face a fine of no more than $25. Littering violators could face fines of up to $100 for each violation.

The changes also clarify the definitions of certain signs.

The board has to hold a hearing on the proposed changes before it can take action to adopt them.