Columbus considers changing ordinance to prevent cluttered yards
COLUMBUS, Ind. (WISH) – You can call it debris, trash, stuff, or even treasure for some.
The City Council in Columbus is considering changing its ordinances when it comes to clutter in front yards.
Right now, leaders say the city’s ordinances don’t really address the issue, so they’re considering amending the city code to require people to remove that kind of debris from front yards and relocate it.
They may also address indoor furniture like couches that are stored outside, and they’re also looking at garbage bins, or toters, as they call them.
They’re proposing amendments to require those bins be placed on the side or back of the house, or away from the sidewalk or street within 24 hours after collection.
“We have a very significant effort to revitalize central city neighborhoods, and the accumulation of debris and the like has been an issue that property owners have mentioned with respect to tenants, or others that happen to live in central city neighborhoods,” said Carl Malysz, Director of the Community Development Dept for the City of Columbus.
Malysz says they’re working to develop and reinforce neighborhood pride, and addressing debris and clutter in those central neighborhoods is one strategy.
“We’re not making calls on the difference between trash and treasure, we’re simply asking people to be considerate of their neighborhood and to find a more appropriate place to store those items on their property, preferably in rear yards and in storage situations that are out of sight and out of mind,” added Malysz.
This will be brought up again Tuesday evening at the City Council meeting in Columbus. It was tabled last month.
In Indianapolis, the Department of Code Enforcement does enforce trash cases, or trash that’s accumulated on personal property, under Ch 575 of the City Ordinance under “Environmental Nuisance.”
The spokesperson for DCE says the Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County also enforces trash on personal property.