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Targeted Trash Sweeps to Begin this Spring

As spring approaches, the City of Erie Bureau of Code Enforcement is once again preparing to crack down on excessive garbage throughout the city.

The city launched the ticketing program last year, in an effort to reduce trash and blight throughout the city.

According to Mayor Daria Devlin, her office is in the process of surveying the city to determine which neighborhoods to focus on.

“The ticketing program we had last year, was really very successful,” said Mayor Devlin.  “We want to get that started again and really try to target some of those neighborhoods that need it the most.”

Once the sweeps begin this spring, code enforcement officers will evaluate properties throughout the city and target homes that have excessive trash and debris or large items in their yard.

Those in violation will be given a courtesy notice, giving them 14 days to address the issue.

If that doesn’t happen, the property owner will face a $1,400 fine from the city.

Last year, code enforcement officers issued more than 200 notices and a vast majority of those recipients complied.

“I think it’s a huge need with the large items,” said Mayor Devlin.  “We also need to remind our residents that they can’t be putting their garbage out more than 25 hours ahead of their scheduled night.  We’re seeing a lot of that.  People put their garbage out on Sunday, and don’t have pick up until Thursday, now we have trash in the street, animals are in bags, so it’s kind of a dual approach.”

Mayor Devlin says it’s part of an ongoing effort to keep neighborhoods clean.”

“Nobody wants to end up with a ticket,” said Mayor Devlin.  “We understand that, so our officers will go have a conversation, what’s going on?  Make sure that they know what resources are available, how to do large item pick-up, whether they need to call a private company to do a haul away for them, so they’ll work with them and if we’re not getting results, we owe it to the rest our neighbors to provide that ticket and really hold those owners responsible and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Mayor Devlin says she will announce plans for this year’s sweeps on April 1.