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Kenilworth council introduces amended garbage ordinance to formalize monthly bulk pickup and clarify receptacle rules
Summary
Council introduced ordinance 2025‑05 to amend Chapter 106 (Garbage, Refuse and Recycling). Amendments add defined wording to receptacle requirements and insert ‘unit’ after household to clarify bulk pickup allowances for multi‑unit dwellings; ordinance scheduled for public hearing June 4.
The Kenilworth Borough Council on May 6 voted to introduce Ordinance 2025‑05, an amendment to Chapter 106 (Garbage, Refuse and Recycling), with changes intended to clarify how bagged trash and bulk pickup rules apply to residents and multi‑unit dwellings.
Why it matters: the revisions aim to reduce ambiguity about what must be placed in covered receptacles and how many bulk items constitute a household entitlement, issues that council members said had produced confusion during high‑volume pickup periods (for example, after holidays) and for multi‑family units.
What changed: the council instructed staff to amend the ordinance language so that references to ‘bagged garbage’ explicitly point to the defined municipal term (capitalizing the term and adding “as defined”) and to strike language that would have required “bundled curbside” handling in a way members said would incorrectly apply to non‑decomposing refuse. The council also ordered insertion of the word “unit” after “household” in the bulk‑pickup provision so that a two‑family house is treated as two household units for the purpose of the allowed number of bulk items.
Implementation details: under the ordinance and the accompanying DPW schedule discussed earlier in the meeting, the borough will run six monthly bulk pickup days in 2025, coordinated with regular trash routes. Staff earlier identified that residents on certain routes may place up to five bulk items on their scheduled bulk day; residents were reminded to check the borough website for dates and accepted items.
Public process and next steps: the ordinance was introduced as amended; a public hearing and adoption are scheduled for the council’s June 4 meeting at 6 p.m. Council members said they would publish the amended text and that the clerk will include the attorney’s handwritten markup in the minutes and publication materials.
Ending: staff and the municipal attorney will finalize the ordinance text for publication and bring the measure back to the council for public comment and formal adoption on June 4.
