Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Recycling topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Whitefish Bay updates recycling ordinance to reflect DNR rule changes; yard-waste definition expanded
Summary
The board approved Ordinance 1925 to align municipal recycling rules with recent DNR administrative-code revisions, including clarifying definitions, adding landfill bans (oil filters/absorbents) to public education materials, and explicitly including grass clippings, leaves and brush in the yard-waste definition. The change is required for the village to remain eligible for recycling grant funding.
Whitefish Bay’s Village Board approved an update to the municipal recycling ordinance on April 20 to align local code with revisions to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources administrative rules. Public Works staff (Maxine) said DNR changes — effective July 1 of the prior year — require municipalities to update their ordinances by April 30 to maintain compliance.
Maxine said the proposed amendments clean up ambiguous definitions, require educational materials to reference landfill bans on oil filters and absorbent materials, and clarify that "yard waste" explicitly includes grass clippings, leaves and brush. She also noted the DNR changed the multifamily-dwelling threshold from five-plus units to four-plus units and that staff will discuss alternatives with the DNR — for example, allowing dumpsters and alternate collection agreements in locations where curbside recycling is not practical.
Maxine told the board the annual DNR report tied to the ordinance update is connected to a recycling grant that provides the village approximately $67,000 per year, making timely ordinance updates important for funding eligibility. Trustees approved Ordinance 1925 subject to final review by the village attorney and associated staff review.
Staff said they will finish the ordinance language, coordinate any site-specific exceptions with the DNR where necessary, and submit the required annual report so the village remains eligible for grant funding.
