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Resident’s complaint about overflowing trash prompts council to pursue ordinance review
Summary
A resident told the Public Safety and Welfare Committee on Feb. 10 that overflowing garbage behind a neighborhood business has attracted animals and created a health hazard; council members and inspections staff said they will examine ordinance changes requiring commercial trash enclosures.
During the Feb. 10 meeting of the Kenosha Public Safety and Welfare Committee, a resident who identified herself as Molly told the committee that an accumulation of garbage near a neighborhood establishment has created a health hazard and drawn wildlife.
Molly, who gave an address as 6039 14th Avenue, said the trash at "1916, 60 Third Street," across from a school, "has been there since January" and that she had contacted the county health inspector, the city inspector and the mayor. "If the business cannot afford to dump their garbage, their recycle, they need not to be open," Molly said during public comment, adding that raccoons had been feeding in the refuse and that the situation had not improved despite prior complaints.
Committee members discussed the broader issue of overflowing commercial trash containers. One alderman said similar problems exist in multiple districts and proposed that the council "look to... creating some sort of legislation that is outside residential and more focused on commercial aspects or businesses that contribute to the problem of trash." The chair and other members agreed to explore options.
A committee member reported speaking with Jerry Roberts, inspections department director, who is proposing ordinance changes to require enclosures and to impose additional restrictions on commercial garbage bins. Roberts (identified in the meeting as inspections department director) told the committee that some businesses granted conditional‑use permits are required to have enclosures but that bins are often left outside the enclosures and used by noncustomers. "There's a lot more here than merely that," Roberts said. "But that is something that is in the process."
Committee members characterized the problem as a mix of code enforcement and public‑health concerns, noting rodents and the potential for disease. No ordinance was introduced or adopted at the meeting; members said staff and the inspections department will draft or refine proposed ordinance language and bring it back to the council.
Why it matters: Overflowing commercial trash can pose public‑health risks, attract wildlife and affect neighborhoods near schools and residences. The inspections director’s proposed ordinance changes would create clearer requirements for enclosures and enforcement of commercial waste storage.
Next steps: Staff from the inspections department will draft proposed ordinance changes and report back to the committee for further consideration.
