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Utica council denies appeal, upholds revocation of donation‑bin license after months of complaints
Summary
After months of complaints about donations left outside a clothing donation bin at Auburn and Shaner/Hall Road, the Utica City Council denied an appeal from the operator and sustained a revocation of the site’s license following a lengthy public hearing on Aug. 12.
The Utica City Council voted unanimously Aug. 12 to deny an appeal from a textile‑recycling vendor and uphold the city’s revocation of a donation‑bin license for a location at Shelby Corners, citing repeated instances of donated items left on the ground outside the bin.
The decision follows a two‑hour public hearing in which representatives for the operator, American Textile Recycling Service (ATRS), and the Michigan Humane Society argued the bin supports nonprofit fundraising and said they had increased service and signage to reduce drop‑offs outside the container. The council heard voices on both sides before voting 7‑0 to deny the appeal.
“Those funds are critical to our work,” said Matt Pepper, identifying himself as president and CEO of Michigan Humane, urging the council to find a solution that would preserve the fundraising stream. ATRS representative Patrick Bennett told the council his crews visit the site multiple times per week and that the company reduced the number of bins at that location from four to two and increased service days to try to…
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