By Cassie Lennox

In an effort to provide clarity in a city ordinance that deals with garbage bin placement, a city alder caused quite a mess among community members.

Alder Cindy Nebel, District 3, proposed an amendment to an ordinance related to garbage cart storage, and community members came out in droves Monday, Oct. 9, split on whether the amendment improved the ordinance.

Ultimately, the city’s Public Protection Committee unanimously decided to postpone action until its November meeting.

“Codes need to be understandable so they can be enforced,” said Nebel. “We need to explain to people what is not acceptable.”

She said that the verbiage in the current ordinance is not very consistent and she wants to provide more clarity.

But some residents said they thought the amendment was proposed with just a handful of people in mind and the issue could be addressed in a different way, rather than changing a code to make a regulation that is already restrictive even moreso.

“I agree that clarifying discrepancy is a good thing,” said community member Travis Haines, “but this seems to be a big waste … If you think the garbage bins are ugly, next time buy prettier garbage cans.”

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