Cleveland council adopts $50 overage fee for overloaded commercial containers and updates master fee schedule

The City of Cleveland voted April 21 to adopt a $50 overage fee for commercial waste containers and to update the city's master fee schedule.

Sergio Lopez, representing Frontier Waste Services, told the council that overloaded containers lead to spills, litter, and increased rodent and insect activity and proposed a $50 overage charge to encourage proper container sizing and service frequency. Council members asked whether affected businesses had been contacted and what alternatives — larger containers or more frequent pickups — were available; Lopez said staff and airport pilots had been contacted where applicable and described options including upsizing containers, more frequent service, and lock bars for shared containers.

Council moved and approved the $50 overage fee by voice vote (motion carried 5–0). Later in the agenda, the council adopted a set of master fee schedule updates that included adjusted municipal park usage rates, a 70% discount for local youth leagues, a new non‑potable water rate (meter‑size based) at 50% of treated water rates with a special per‑thousand rate over 2,000, and a new water‑theft fee. Council approved the master fee schedule changes, incorporating the Frontier fee, by unanimous vote.

During public comment prior to the vote, Larry Elliott, president of the local Experimental Aircraft Association chapter and a Cleveland airport tenant, urged the council to explain why a requested $57 rebate to support a Young Eagles event had been denied and said he received no response from staff; the council did not reverse that decision at the meeting.

The new overage fee will be incorporated into the city's fee schedule; staff said implementation details will be reflected in the updated fee schedule and enforcement processes.