Centreville tightens municipal infraction penalties, council signals intent to enforce bag ban

The Centreville Town Council on Jan. 2 adopted Ordinance 13-2024, a reorganization and update of penalty provisions across the municipal code, and approved the companion Resolution 19-2024 that specifies the dollar amounts tied to municipal infractions.

Town Attorney Sharon Van Emberg described the ordinance as primarily a reordering of penalty provisions so fines run from lowest to highest and said the change consolidates previously scattered language. “This is mostly a cleanup of the penalty provisions to make them now, make more sense. They go from the lowest amounts to the highest amounts,” Van Emberg said.

At the meeting a council member who had met with the town manager and a representative from Centerville Main Street urged enforcement of the town’s plastic bag ban now that the fine structure has been clarified. The speaker said enforcement was necessary because some businesses were not complying: “There's a lot of laws I don't like, but doesn't mean you get to break them,” the council member said.

Council members moved to approve Ordinance 13-2024; a roll-call recorded Council member Hoefer voting yes, Council Vice President Kiel yes, and Council member Wirth yes. The council then approved Resolution 19-2024, which attaches specific fine amounts to the reworked penalty sections; during that vote Council member Hopper voted yes, Vice President Kiel yes, and Council member Wirth yes.

The ordinance and resolution are intended to make municipal infractions clearer and to facilitate enforcement. The council did not discuss a specific enforcement schedule at the meeting; council members indicated enforcement of the bag ban will be a next step now that penalties are reorganized.

Copies of Ordinance 13-2024 and Resolution 19-2024 will be filed with the town clerk and added to the municipal code update process.