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Council hears first reading of ordinance requiring fenced enclosures for large dumpsters
Summary
The city read Ordinance 025001, which would add a definition of “dumpster” (movable waste container 4 cubic yards or greater), require fenced enclosures for regulated dumpsters, set exceptions (construction, <30 days, service impairment), and give businesses until July 1, 2025 to comply.
City staff read Ordinance 025001 in full and council members discussed the ordinance’s definition, scope and compliance timeline.
The reading described proposed amendments to Shepherdsville Code of Ordinances 018‑269. The ordinance would add a definition of “dumpster” as a movable waste container designed to be removed by special collection vehicle with a size of 4 cubic yards or greater. It would require that any dumpster located in city limits be enclosed by a fence regardless of zoning, with three exceptions: (1) a dumpster on the same premises for less than 30 days; (2) any dumpster used during construction of a building; and (3) a dumpster where construction of a fence would prevent trash collection, provided the property owner submits documentation from the trash company demonstrating the impairment.
The ordinance text read at the meeting sets a compliance deadline of July 1, 2025, and removes certain prior exceptions and penalty increases previously in the code. Council members discussed how to define dumpster by cubic yards and asked staff to obtain Republic (service provider) specifications; participants referenced common sizes (2, 4, 6, 8, 30 cubic yards) and agreed that 4 cubic yards and larger was a workable threshold for the local code.
Council did not adopt the ordinance at the meeting; staff said they had scheduled the reading and discussed enforcement mechanics (documentation from the trash company to claim an exception) and the 30‑day temporary exception for short‑term bins.
A staff member said the intent was aesthetic and safety improvements, particularly around multi‑family complexes and strip centers; the ordinance provides a severability clause and a July 1, 2025 compliance date to allow property owners time to conform.
No final vote was recorded during the meeting’s reading.
Notes: the ordinance as read includes penalty and citation provisions and a 180‑day record retention requirement for false-alarm records in companion ordinances discussed later in the meeting; details are in the ordinance text.
