City of Norco issued the following announcement on Nov. 12.
All Norco property owners who keep livestock (e.g., horses, cows, sheep, pigs, goats, llamas, etc.) are required to regularly dispose of accumulated and stored manure through the City of Norco’s manure collection program. Sections 6.42 and 6.45 of the Norco Municipal Code (NMC) provide the rules, regulations and procedures regarding manure collection and disposal. As part of the program, property owners may dispose of manure by:
1. Utilizing the City’s designated franchise manure collection contractor (Waste Management), which offers various service options, including 96-gallon carts and two, seven and ten-yard bins; OR
2. Obtaining a Self-Haul Permit in order to privately haul their manure to an approved disposal facility in lieu of using the City’s designated franchise manure collection contractor.
Some residents with self-haul permits were using third-party contractors to transport and dispose their manure in violation of the Norco Municipal Code. Additionally, some residents without legitimate self-haul permits have contracted with third-party contractors to transport and dispose of their manure in violation of the Code. In November 2019, the City Council directed staff to suspend the enforcement of the self-haul permit requirements so that the rules and procedures could be re-examined for potential changes that would better address the needs of the City and its residents.
Staff worked with Waste Management, currently identified as the sole provider for hauling all wastes, including manure, to review the level of services available. Tours of properties that were using third-party haulers were conducted to better understand the issues related to residents or businesses using third-party haulers rather than conducting true self-hauling. Staff also met with the Manure Subcommittee to consider how to implement alternative self-hauling programs that would not materially breach the terms of the existing Franchise Waste Disposal Contract with Waste Management.
Use of third-party haulers is not recommended by staff, as it would likely constitute a violation of the exclusive franchise agreement between the City and Waste Management. Furthermore, there are significant challenges that haulers must overcome in order to operate legally in the City even if Waste Management were to allow limited use of other haulers by residents.
Ultimately, the Manure Subcommittee accepted staff’s recommendation to do the following:
- Leave the self-haul program in place as currently defined, which does not allow third-party haulers.
- Update the Norco Municipal Code Chapter 6.42 “Municipal Refuse, Manure, and Recycling Collection” and Chapter 6.45 “City of Norco Manure Management and Disposal” to include the same self-haul manure language to reduce confusion.
- Provide a grace period until December 31, 2020 for any resident or business currently using a third-party hauler to dispose of manure to switch over to Waste Management manure services.
- City Staff and Waste Management will reach out to all known self-haulers to help make them aware of how the City’s self-hauling programming must be conducted or work with them to find a level of manure service from Waste Management that will adequately meet their disposal needs.
- Effective January 1, 2021, any resident or business using a third-party hauler for manure will be cited by Code Enforcement and the third-party hauler will also be cited and sent a cease-and-desist letter from the City Attorney.
Original source can be found here.
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