Vermillion council approves new garbage fine schedule, advances rezoning and clears final plat for Jolly Addition

The Vermillion City Council on Tuesday approved a stepped fine schedule for violations of the city's garbage-collection rules, advanced a rezoning request for two lots in the Jack Powell Addition and approved the final plat for the Jolly Addition, clearing the way for the former Jolly School site to be subdivided into lots and a park.

The garbage-related measures were the meeting's clearest policy decisions. Council members adopted ordinance changes and a companion resolution to let the council set fines for collecting garbage on the wrong day or before the permissible start time. John, a city staff member, told the council the ordinance language being adopted would allow the council to set a fine by resolution and presented two penalty options. "We do recommend approval of the second reading of ordinance 1527," John said. The council approved the ordinance on a roll call vote of 9 yeas, 0 nays and later adopted the enhanced fine schedule by voice vote.

The fine schedule the council adopted scales a first offense within a calendar year at $56.50 plus court costs and $106.50 for a second offense within that calendar year; court costs discussed at the meeting were $72.50. John reminded the council that state law caps municipal fines and that the council's proposals were consistent with other local penalty schedules.

Why this matters: The change gives the city a clear enforcement mechanism for complaints about early or off-day residential collection, which staff said recurs periodically and prompted the code amendment after a recent citation.

Other actions and major discussion: