Council says no to garbage trucks parking in city limits

The Hebron City Council gave a thumbs down to parking garbage trucks within the city limits during the regular Monday night meeting Oct. 1. In speedy passage, the council deemed to prohibit the “parking of any vehicle used by an authorized city garbage collector in the hauling and/or disposal of solid waste on the public streets or alleys of the city.”

Ordinance 840 was created following a complaint from a Hebron citizen who lives near an area where trucks are being parked. The protester said the trucks, often full of garbage, will stay parked overnight, but even when they’re empty, the stench is quite powerful.

City officials debated over the amount of time the vehicles might be allowed to park if needed; however, the overall ban on parking inside the city limits was not an issue. For example, noon meals where drivers and workers may need to park in a parking lot of a restaurant or on the street in front of their houses for an hour while they eat lunch were dismissed after the officials determined 15 minutes was long enough to “grab a sandwich.” The possibility of a mechanical breakdown requiring local maintenance was not discussed.

Ordinance 840 states “it is unlawful for any private garbage collector licensed to do business in the City of Hebron to park, for a length of time in excess of 15 minutes, any vehicle designed for or used in the hauling of solid waste, garbage, refuse, rubbish or yard waste…” Violation of the ordinance, which goes into effect immediately, carries a $500 fine.

Ordinance 840 is kept on file at the Hebron City Office and can be seen in its entirety inside this issue on the Public Notices page.