Trash Ticket Reprieve

Sherri Kimbel, director of constituent services for Ward 2 councilmember Jack Evans, emailed the Burleith listserv today to announce that DPW has agreed to convert to warnings the recent $75 fines that were issued for leaving trash and recycling cans in alleys after pick-up. Ms. Kimbel added that she has requested a meeting with DPW to determine, with Burleith citizen input, how best to proceed in the future.

The issue came to light when Burleith residents emailed the listserv to question citations they received, noting that because of the Presidents Day holiday, pick up had actually slid to Friday, February 23, making the citation date of February 22 in error. They and others expressed surprise and annoyance that the regulation was being enforced without warning, that their back yards/patios were too small to accommodate the containers, and that lack of easy access to the alley made rolling heavy cans burdensome. On the other hand, a couple of posters described trash cans littering alleys as unsightly and said they make driving through alleys unnecessarily cumbersome.

ANC 2E commissioner Ed Solomon followed up with Ms. Kimbel and Richard Livingstone, Ward 2 liaison for the mayor. BCA president Eric Langenbacher also expressed his outrage and suggested the fines be converted to warnings.

In her email to the listserv, Ms. Kimbel included language emailed from a staffer in DPW Clearinghouse who noted: "I am pleased to share that SWEEP has dismissed the residential citations, issued during the week of February 19–23, 2018. The citations were given for having trash containers, on public space, at the wrong time or place (21 DCMR 705.5 / R220). All residents who received a citation should now consider it a notice of non-compliance or a warning. Please note that any future violations of this regulation can and will result in a monetary fine. Please also note that the effected residents will be notified in writing of the dismissal."

Ed Solomon subsequently emailed Ms. Kimbel via the listserv to "request that DPW wait at least a week to issue future tickets. This will allow time for those on vacation to comply or make necessary arrangements. A delay will allow time for our civic association and neighbors to alert those not on this community list serve."

Look for more from the BCA on this shortly. Ms. Kimbel can be reached at (202) 724-8058 or skimbel@dccouncil.us. Mr. Solomon's email is dctuxedo@aol.com. To join the Burleith listserv, email burleith-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

(DPW is in charge of enforcing all sanitation regulations for the District. Solid Waste Education and Enforcement Program [SWEEP] inspectors and investigators use education and enforcement to work with residents and businesses to keep the District clean. Read more about its efforts at the SWEEP web page and in this Burleith web post. The agency provides hardship collection services for residents who are physically unable to place or return their garbage/recycling containers. The trash/recycling crew will collect the containers from your storage location, empty, and return them to their storage location. Download the application.)