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Landlord complaints prompt rewrite of West Chester’s trash and recycling rules
Summary
The committee opened a substantive review of Chapter 62 after landlord complaints and citations over tote limits; staff said exceeding four 96‑gallon totes typically requires a dumpster and screening, and offered to meet with affected landlords to resolve compliance questions.
West Chester’s Public Works Committee on Feb. 10 advanced work on a rewrite of Chapter 62 (garbage, rubbish and refuse) after landlords and businesses raised confusion about how the ordinance treats 96‑gallon totes, dumpsters and recycling.
Committee members said the ordinance was drafted before widespread use of modern recycling totes and that the conversion rule linking totes to dumpster equivalents inadvertently left no clear place for recycling containers. "As soon as you go over 4, you have to have a dumpster," a staff member said during the meeting, describing how the rule applies when a property’s tote count exceeds four.
Landlord Fran Orbono, who said he bought a property on High Street in June and later received a citation, described the burden of compliance and the cost of corral and screening construction. "I already received a fine. I'm pleading not guilty," Orbono said, and asked where totes may be stored to meet the code while serving rental tenants.
Staff acknowledged the issue is widespread across residential and commercial areas, noted screening requirements for dumpsters and said they would meet with Orbono, the assistant borough manager and code staff to review photos and find a practical solution. The committee and staff emphasized they intend to provide clearer guidance and that the proposed ordinance rewrite will address multifamily and commercial pickup issues.
No vote on the ordinance change occurred at the meeting; staff will continue drafting language and return with recommended revisions and clarifying guidance to landlords and businesses.
