Hopewell City Council approves garbage fines

Hopewell's City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a tougher law on garbage.

The council voted on a first reading in favor of changes to the city's ordinance on garbage, refuse and weeds to bring it in line with state statutes and add civil penalties for violators.

It is currently unlawful in Hopewell for any property owner to allow the accumulation of garbage, refuse, litter, trash, debris and other substances that might endanger the health of residents. The code also states that it is against the law to permit grass, weeds or other foreign growth in excess of 1 foot in height on any property, except in wooded areas.

The current code, however, doesn't impose penalties on violators.

The approved ordinance would establish a penalty of $50 for the first violation and a $200 penalty for subsequent violations within 12 months.

Violators also would pay a penalty for each business day during which the same violation is found to have existed. The civil penalties for each case would not exceed $3,000 in a 12-month period.

If approved at a second reading, the ordinance would take effect in about three months. -- Luz Lazo