CHAPTER 14
LITTER
SECTION:
6-14-1: City Of Renton Anti-Litter Law
6-14-2: Definitions
6-14-3: Litter In Public Places
6-14-4: Placement Of Litter In Receptacles
6-14-5: Sweeping Litter Into Gutters
6-14-6: Merchants’ Duty
6-14-7: Litter Thrown By Persons In Vehicles
6-14-8: Truck Loads Causing Litter
6-14-9: Litter In Parks
6-14-10: Litter In Lakes And Fountains
6-14-11: Throwing Or Distributing Commercial Handbills In Public Places
6-14-12: Placing Commercial And Noncommercial Handbills On Vehicles
6-14-13: Depositing Commercial And Noncommercial Handbills On Uninhabited Or Vacant Premises
6-14-14: Prohibiting Distribution Of Handbills Where Properly Posted
6-14-15: Distributing Commercial And Noncommercial Handbills At Inhabited Private Premises
6-14-16: Dropping Litter From Aircraft
6-14-17: Posting Notices Prohibited
6-14-18: Litter On Occupied Private Property
6-14-19: Owner To Maintain Premises Free Of Litter
6-14-20: Litter On Vacant Lots
6-14-21: Clearing Of Litter From Open Private Property By City
6-14-22: Violation; Penalties
6-14-23: Adoption By Reference
6-14-1 CITY OF RENTON ANTI-LITTER LAW:
This Chapter shall be known and may be cited as the City of Renton Anti-Litter Law.
6-14-2 DEFINITIONS:
For the purposes of this Chapter the following terms, phrases, words and their derivations shall have the meaning given herein:
AIRCRAFT: Any contrivance now known or hereafter invented, used or designated for navigation or for flight in the air. The word “aircraft” shall include helicopters and lighter-than-air dirigibles and balloons.
COMMERCIAL HANDBILL: Any printed or written matter, any sample or device, dodger, circular, leaflet, pamphlet, paper, booklet or any other printed or otherwise reproduced original or copies of any matter of literature:
A. Which advertises for sale any merchandise, product, commodity or thing; or
B. Which directs attention to any business or mercantile or commercial establishment or other activity, for the purpose of either directly or indirectly promoting the interest thereof by sales; or
C. Which directs attention to or advertise any meeting, theatrical performance, exhibition, or event of any kind, for which an admission fee is charged for the purpose of private gain or profit; but the terms of this clause shall not apply where an admission fee is charged or a collection is taken up for the purpose of defraying the expenses incident to such meeting, theatrical performance, exhibition, or event of any kind, when either of the same is held, given or takes place in connection with the dissemination of information which is not restricted under the ordinary rules of decency, good morals, public peace, safety and good order; provided, that nothing contained in this clause shall be deemed to authorize the holding, giving or taking place of any meeting, theatrical performance, exhibition or event of any kind, without a license, where such license is or may be required by any law of this State, or under any ordinance of the City of Renton; or
D. Which, while containing reading matter other than advertising matter, is predominantly and essentially an advertisement, and is distributed or circulated for advertising purposes, or for the private benefit and gain of any person so engaged as advertiser or distributor.
GARBAGE: Putrescible animal and vegetable wastes resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking and consumption of food.
LITTER: Garbage, refuse and rubbish as defined herein and all other waste material which, if thrown or deposited as herein prohibited, tends to create a danger to public health, safety and welfare.
NEWSPAPER: Any newspaper of general circulation as defined by general law, any newspaper duly entered with the Post Office Department of the United States, in accordance with Federal statute or regulation, and any newspaper filed and recorded with any recording officer as provided by general law; and, in addition thereto, shall mean and include any periodical or current magazine regularly published with not less than four (4) issues per year, and sold to the public.
NONCOMMERCIAL HANDBILL: Any printed or written matter, any sample, or device, dodger, circular, leaflet, pamphlet, newspaper, magazine, paper, booklet, or any other printed or otherwise reproduced original or copies of any other printed or otherwise reproduced original or copies of any matter of literature not included in the aforesaid definitions of a commercial handbill or newspaper.
PARK: A park, reservation, playground, beach, recreation center or any other public area in the City, owned or used by the City and devoted to active or passive recreation.
PERSON: Any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation, company or organization of any kind.
PRIVATE PREMISES: Any dwelling, house, building or other structure, designed or used either wholly or in part for private residential purposes, whether inhabited or temporarily or continuously uninhabited or vacant, and shall include any yard, grounds, walk, driveway, porch, steps, vestibule or mailbox belonging or appurtenant to such dwelling, house, building or other structure.
PUBLIC PLACE: Any and all streets, sidewalks, boulevards, alleys or other public ways and any and all public parks, square, spaces, grounds and buildings.
REFUSE: All putrescible and nonputrescible solid wastes (except body wastes), including garbage, rubbish, ashes, street cleanings, dead animals, motor vehicle parts, and solid market and industrial wastes. (Amd. Ord. 4792, 9-13-99)
RUBBISH: Nonputrescible solid wastes consisting of both combustible and noncombustible wastes, such as paper, wrappings, cigarettes, cardboard, tin cans, yard clippings, wood, glass, bedding, crockery and similar materials.
VEHICLE: Every device in, upon, or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a highway, including devices used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks.
6-14-3 LITTER IN PUBLIC PLACES:
No person shall throw or deposit litter in or upon any street, sidewalk, alley or other public place within the City except in public receptacles or in authorized private receptacles for collection.
6-14-4 PLACEMENT OF LITTER IN RECEPTACLES:
Persons placing litter in public receptacles or in authorized private receptacles shall do so in such a manner as to prevent it from being carried or deposited by the elements upon any street, alley, sidewalk or other public place.
6-14-5 SWEEPING LITTER INTO GUTTERS:
No person shall sweep into or deposit in any gutter, street or other public place within the City the accumulation of litter from any building or lot or from any public or private sidewalk or driveway. Persons owning or occupying property shall keep the sidewalk in front of their premises free of litter at all times.
6-14-6 MERCHANTS’ DUTY:
No person owning or occupying a place of business shall sweep into or deposit in any gutter, street or other public place within the City the accumulation of litter from any building or lot or from any public or private sidewalk or driveway. Persons owning or occupying places of business within the City shall keep the sidewalk in front of their business premises free of litter.
6-14-7 LITTER THROWN BY PERSONS IN VEHICLES:
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.
6-14-8 TRUCK LOADS CAUSING LITTER:
No person shall drive or move any truck or other vehicle within the City unless such vehicle is so constructed or loaded as to prevent any load or contents of litter from being blown or deposited upon any street, alley or other public place. Nor shall any person drive or move any vehicle or truck within the City the wheels or tires of which carry onto or deposit in any street, alley or other public place, mud, dirt, sticky substances or foreign matter of any kind. (Ord. 1700, 10-28-58)
6-14-9 LITTER IN PARKS:
Reserved. (Ord. Ord. 1700, 10-28-58; Ord. 5762, 7-13-15)
6-14-10 LITTER IN LAKES AND FOUNTAINS:
No person shall throw or deposit litter in any fountain, pond, lake, stream, bay or any other body of water in a park or elsewhere within the City. (Ord. 1700, 10-28-58)
6-14-11 THROWING OR DISTRIBUTING COMMERCIAL HANDBILLS IN PUBLIC PLACES:
No person shall throw or deposit any commercial or noncommercial handbill in or upon any sidewalk, street or other public place within the City. Nor shall any person hand out or distribute or sell any commercial handbill in any public place. Provided, however, that it shall not be unlawful on any sidewalk, street or other public place within the City for any person to hand out or distribute, without charge to the receiver thereof, any noncommercial handbill to any person willing to accept it. (Ord. 1700, 10-28-58)
6-14-12 PLACING COMMERCIAL AND NONCOMMERCIAL HANDBILLS ON VEHICLES:
No person shall throw or deposit any commercial or noncommercial handbill in or upon any vehicle. Provided, however, that it shall not be unlawful in any public place for a person to hand out or distribute without charge to the receiver thereof, a noncommercial handbill to any occupant of a vehicle who is willing to accept it. (Ord. 1700, 10-28-58)
6-14-13 DEPOSITING COMMERCIAL AND NONCOMMERCIAL HANDBILLS ON UNINHABITED OR VACANT PREMISES:
No person shall throw or deposit any commercial or noncommercial handbill in or upon any private premises which are temporarily or continuously uninhabited or vacant. (Ord. 1700, 10-28-58)
6-14-14 PROHIBITING DISTRIBUTION OF HANDBILLS WHERE PROPERLY POSTED:
No person shall throw, deposit or distribute any commercial or noncommercial handbill upon any private premises, if required by anyone thereon not to do so, or if there is placed on said premises in a conspicuous position near the entrance thereof, a sign bearing the words: “No Trespassing”, “No Peddlers or Agents”, “No Advertisements”, or any similar notice, indicating in any manner that the occupants of said premises do not desire to be molested or have their right of privacy disturbed, or to have any such handbills left upon such premises. (Ord. 1700, 10-28-58)
6-14-15 DISTRIBUTING COMMERCIAL AND NONCOMMERCIAL HANDBILLS AT INHABITED PRIVATE PREMISES:
No person shall throw, deposit or distribute any commercial or noncommercial handbill in or upon private premises which are inhabited, except by handing or transmitting any such handbill directly to the owner, occupant, or other person then present in or upon such private premises. Provided, however, that in case of inhabited private premises which are not posted, as provided in this Chapter, such person, unless requested by anyone upon such premises not to do so, shall have the authority to place or deposit any such handbill in or upon such inhabited private premises, if such handbill is so placed or deposited as to secure or prevent such handbill from being blown or drifted about such premises or sidewalks, streets or other public places, and except that mailboxes may not be so used when so prohibited by Federal postal law or regulations.
The provisions of this Section shall not apply to the distribution of mail by the United States, nor to newspapers (as defined herein). (Ord. 1700, 10-28-58)
6-14-16 DROPPING LITTER FROM AIR CRAFT:
No person in any aircraft shall throw out, drop or deposit within the City any litter, handbill or any other object. (Ord. 1700, 10-28-58)
6-14-17 POSTING NOTICES PROHIBITED:
No person shall post or affix any notice, poster or other paper or device, calculated to attract the attention of the public, to any lamppost, public utility pole or shade tree or upon any structure or building, except as may be authorized or required by law. (Ord. 1700, 10-28-58)
6-14-18 LITTER ON OCCUPIED PRIVATE PROPERTY:
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. (Ord. 1700, 10-28-58)
6-14-19 OWNER TO MAINTAIN PREMISES FREE OF LITTER:
The owner or person in control of any private property shall at all times maintain the premises free of litter. Provided, however, that this Section shall not prohibit the storage of litter in authorized private receptacles for collection. (Ord. 1700, 10-28-58)
6-14-20 LITTER ON VACANT LOTS:
No person shall throw or deposit litter on any open or vacant private property within the City whether owned by such person or not. (Ord. 1700, 10-28-58)
6-14-21 CLEARING OF LITTER FROM OPEN PRIVATE PROPERTY BY CITY:
A. Notice to Remove: The Building Official is hereby authorized and empowered to notify the owner of any open or vacant private property within the City or the agent of such owner to properly dispose of litter located on such owner’s property which is dangerous to public health, safety or welfare. Such notice shall be by registered mail, addressed to said owner, at his last known address.
B. Action Upon Noncompliance: Upon the failure, neglect or refusal of any owner or agent so notified, to properly dispose of litter dangerous to the public health, safety or welfare within five (5) days after receipt of written notice provided for in Section 6-14-21A above, or within seven (7) days after the date of such notice in the event the same is returned to the City Post Office Department because of its inability to make delivery thereof, provided same was properly addressed to the last known address of such owner or agent, the Building Official is hereby authorized and empowered to pay for the disposing of such litter or to order its disposal by the City. When the City has effected the removal of such dangerous litter or has paid for its removal, the actual cost thereof, plus accrued interest at the rate of six percent (6%) per annum from the date of the completion of the work, if not paid by such owner prior thereto, shall be charged to the owner within ten (10) days after presentation of such bill. (Ord, 1700, 10-28-58; amd. Ord. 2823, 1-21-74)
C. Lien for Disposal Service: Where the full amount due the City is not paid by such owner within thirty (30) days after the disposal of such litter, as provided for hereinabove, then in that case the City by and through its duly authorized officials shall cause to be recorded in the King County Auditor’s office a sworn statement showing the cost and expense incurred for the work, the date the work was done, and the location of the property on which said work was done. The recordation of such sworn statement shall constitute a lien on said property and shall be foreclosed in the manner and within the time prescribed for liens for labor and material. Said disposal service lien shall be prior to all liens and encumbrances filed subsequent to the filing of the notice of it with the County Auditor except the lien of general taxes and local improvement assessments whether levied prior or subsequent thereto. (Ord. 1700, 10-28-58)
6-14-22 VIOLATION; PENALTIES:
Penalties for any person found to have committed a violation of this chapter shall be in accordance with RCW 7.80.120 and 70.93.060. (Ord. 4462, 7-25-94, eff. retroactive to 7-1-94; amd. Ord. 4686, 10-27-97; Ord. 4927, 12-3-01; Ord. 5762, 7-13-15)
6-14-23 ADOPTION BY REFERENCE:
RCW 70.93.060 is hereby adopted by reference as now or hereafter amended and all other statutes adopted by reference therein as if fully set forth herein. (Ord. 4686, 10-27-97)