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Resident presses city to address daily trash drifting from grocery store on Twelfth Street
Summary
A resident said overflowing outside refuse at a new grocery store is leaving bags and debris on nearby Twelfth Street properties; city manager said code enforcement, solid waste and legal will investigate and contact the property owner, who may be cited if responsible.
Gordon Brown, a Twelfth Street resident, told the City Council during Citizens Forum that daily trash from a nearby grocery store consistently blows into his yard and the surrounding blocks. Brown said lids on the store’s refuse areas are propped open and refuse is overfilling outdoor containers; he asked whether the city could require compactors, fencing, or other measures to prevent litter migrating into residential yards.
Brown said he has approached store management and called the trash division, but was told the hauler is private and the problem must be resolved by the property or store owner. “Daily, we have to clean up the large amount of trash,” Brown said, and offered to provide photographs to support enforcement.
The city manager told Brown staff will send code enforcement to inspect the site and asked for the exact Twelfth Street cross-streets so staff can locate the property. The manager said legal, code enforcement, solid waste, and public works would coordinate to identify the property owner and determine whether a code enforcement citation or other remedy is appropriate; the manager also said the property owner, rather than the tenant, typically receives any code fines if a violation exists.
Brown thanked staff and said he will provide photos if that helps. The manager said staff will follow up with Brown and that enforcement options include a code enforcement complaint, requiring compactors, fencing around dumpsters, or other property-management remedies.
Why it matters: overflowing or unsecured commercial refuse can create health, odor and pest issues for adjacent residents and often requires coordination among property owners, private haulers and city code enforcement to resolve.
Next steps: the city manager directed code enforcement to inspect the site and to coordinate with legal, public works and the solid waste division to identify remedies; Brown will provide photographic evidence to staff.
