Oregon: Curbside waste disposal rules tightened

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An ordinance that amends the city’s municipal code to tighten curbside refuse disposal regulations has been approved by Oregon City Council.
Council last week unanimously approved the ordinance which requires households to use a dumpster to hold large amounts of refuse that may result from an eviction or whole house clean out, Paul Roman, director of public service, said.
“When we have unlimited refuse collection it can become ridiculous with what is put out,” he said.
The city discussed the situation with Republic Services, the city’s contractor for refuse collection, during recent contract renewal negotiations and agreed to provide legislation that would require large of amounts of refuse be placed in a suitable container.
Residents wanting special service beyond the contract requirements may negotiate privately with the contractor for the additional service.
“The property owner will be required to order and pay separately for a dumpster through the refuse contractor or other refuse collection vendor. Failure to have exceedingly large volumes of refuse placed in a dumpster may result in the property owners being guilty of a minor misdemeanor and paying a fine…” the ordinance says.
It will be considered a separate offense for each day of non-compliance.
Roman said the new regulation will be posted on the city’s website.
In other business, council heard a report from Joel Mazur, city administrator, about a bill that is pending in the Ohio legislature that would, if enacted, increase the contribution amounts employers of full-time police officers must make to the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund.
House Bill 296 phases in the employer contribution rate increase over a four-year period based on employee salaries earned in pay periods through 2027; from 19.5 percent to 24 percent.
The bill does not change the amount that employees or employers of full-time firefighters must contribute to the OP&F.
Current law sets the OP&F contribution rate for employers of full-time firefighters at 24 percent.
After six hearings before the House Pension Committee, the bill was passed by the House and referred last week to the Senate.
Mary Beth Foley, representing the trustees of the OP&F, told the House committee there is a “structural funding issue which has existed at OP&F since 1967, compounded by an employer contribution rate differential for police and fire in 1986 (19.5 percent for police and 24 percent for fire).