Copperas Cove city council looks at cracking down on unsightly donation bins

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press

The Copperas Cove city council is meeting on Tuesday, April 18, and one of the agenda items is a new ordinance to address the issue of unsightly charity donation bins located at various business properties throughout the city of Copperas Cove.

Oftentimes, the bins will brim over with donations, and also end up with broken furniture and even trash and mattresses piled up beside them—something which constitutes illegal dumping in the city.

The city is bringing a proposed ordinance to the council which would enact a $32 annual permit to set up bins.

The annual fee may be only $32, but there are also conditions that would have to be met by organizations and with business properties agreeing to have donation bins onsite.

Organizations wishing to install a bin would have to submit a site plan drawn to scale, for a bin located on private property or within 800 feet of another permitted bin. Bins will be no larger than 8x8x8 feet.

The organization placing the bin would also have to get a written letter from the property owner or property management company, consenting to the placement and maintenance of the donation bin, and this letter would remain on file with the city.

The bin must be in good repair, free of litter, and any graffiti must be removed within 48 hours of discovery or notice.

If this ordinance passes, bins also must be cleared of contents no less than every two weeks, or as needed. Bins must be clearly marked with an are of no more than one square foot with the name and telephone number of the organization responsible for the bin.

The bins may be located only on private property in an interior side or rear yard area and shall be screened from a public street right-of-way; and likewise on an impervious surface that is not also a parking space and that does not reduce the minimum required parking spaces for the the property.

Bins would also have to be enclosed with a receiving door and locked so that the contents of the can’t be accessed by anyone other than those responsible for retrieval of the contents.

It's not clear what the consequences are for violations, nor if the property manager owner would be responsible for the violations, or if the organization installing the bin would held responsible. 

However, it is a violation of the Texas safety code, it is considered illegal dumping if someone disposes or allows the disposal of "litter or other solid waste at a place that is not an approved solid waste site, including a place on or within 300 feet of a public highway, on a right-of-way, on other public or private property, or into inland or coastal water of the state."