OCEAN GROVE RESIDENTS:
Please be advised that effective Monday, June 6th, you may not place a receptacle larger than Forty-Two (42) Gallons to the curb for pickup.
Please see Ordinance No. 21-3.2.
Thank you!
Paul Goldfinger, Editor Blogfinger.net 6/7/22
Previously I had checked my pail for gallon total after seeing the electric sign at the entrance to the Grove. But there was no marking. Do I have to measure the volume of my “receptacle?”
My garbage pail seemed to be OK. 6/7/22. They must be referring to another size pail. This one was usually picked up by their lifting machine on the back of the truck. Blogfinger photo.
On June 7, 2022, the Neptune DPW came to my house and emptied my one garbage pail and left a yellow sticker. It said that they did “NOT” collect my garbage today, but they did.
The sticker explains that I had “exceeded the capacity allowed by Town Code.” But this directive gives me a fielder’s choice because “capacity” could refer to weight or volume.
Is it possible that my garbage weighed too much? Are we supposed to be weighing our garbage? The electric sign said nothing about pounds–only about gallons.
Since the weight of my garbage was never an issue in the past, I figured that I would need another garbage pail. But first I should verify the nature of my violation. I couldn’t locate their actual ordinance so I called DPW, and this is the conversation:
Me: Can you help me with a garbage question?
She: Yes
Me: I found a yellow sticker on my pail this morning, but I’m not sure what I did wrong. Was it the gallons or the pounds?
She: It’s probably the gallons. How many gallons does your pail hold?
Me: I don’t know. The pail doesn’t say.
She: I’m not sure what to tell you.
Me: Can you have someone call me or come to my house to explain what’s going on? I will leave the pail where it is.
She: OK. Tell me your address and phone number.
I did that. Conversation over.
The upshot so far is that no one came or called.
I decided to check my neighbor’s garbage “receptacle” His is identical to mine, but no sticker. I concluded that my garbage was too heavy.
But since when do those DPW workers have trouble lifting a pail of garbage? They could have even used our 13 gallon kitchen bags in our pail and tossed them into the truck.
For now I will not buy a new pail, just watch out for heavy garbage.
HANK WILLIAMS, JR
ADDENDUM FROM SEAN MACK 6/7/22:
Here is the cited Neptune Town Code Section 21-3.2a:
Property owners and their agents, lessees, tenants or other occupants residing in residential dwellings who wish to have their solid waste disposed of by the Township shall:
Place solid waste from their unit in appropriate containers, receptacles, and/or bundles as specified at the street curb if one exists or adjacent to but not on the street pavement if there is no curb. The number of containers, on each collection day, shall not exceed six (6) per single-residential unit or six (6) per multiple-dwelling unit provided; however, that there shall be allowed two (2) additional containers for each unit over three (3) units.
Businesses will be allowed no more than six (6) receptacles on a single collection day. Each receptacle must not exceed forty-two (42) gallons in size or fifty (50) pounds in weight. The number of automated trash containers, on each collection day, shall not exceed three (3) ninety-five (95) gallon automated containers per single-residential unit or multiple-dwelling unit.
Gallon markings: I finally found some small markings on our receptacle which said “50 gallons max.” I wonder if there even is a 42 gallon receptacle. You have to look very carefully. So I still don’t know which offense they are citing me for. DPW never called me back.
Is the limit 42 gallons or 45 gallons? Most of the Neptune emails and the stickers state 42 gallons. However, I have received two emails from Neptune stating the size limit is 45 gallons.
Kevin– thank you for your knowledge
Your trash can issue raises a very serious issue here that may shed further light into major corruption with Neptune’s zoning.
Why are single family lots with a 99 year lease with one unit restricted to one number of cans while another single family lot with the exact 99 year lease with multi units permitted more cans.
Contract law prohibits contracts/leases that are the same to be treated differently. In fact, neither the OGCMA nor Neptune by either state or federal law has ever had the legal right to grant anything else but a single unit on any lot with a 99 year lease. This also goes with zoning. In other words, the overlay zone for the first two blocks has the same leasehold as all other lots in OG except this illegal zone created to fraudulently permit hotel and townhouse uses was designed to permit the illegal North End development.
This zone discriminates against all other lease holders beyond the two ocean front blocks even though by contract law they are prohibited from greater uses.
So your trash can issue raises issues about zoning that is nothing but trash and corrupt trash at that.
This bothered me from the start when I first received those little lifeless emails which told very little.There were unanswered questions.
It seemed to me that some explanation was in order. What are we? Chopped liver?
Just because the topic is garbage, this is an issue which affects all of us, and the way it has been handled spells disrespect.
And those pathetic electric signs which are hard to read!
There is a long pattern of indifference between the Neptune Township Mother Ship officials and residents of Ocean Grove. This is such an example.
I also received the sticker despite the DPW reaching into my container and grabbing my two bags. Other days they would attach the container to the back of the truck to empty thereby no need to manually lift.
I question when this ordinance was enacted. I would believe that it was before the trucks had automated lifts. This is a Neptune ordinance, yet Neptune has the large receptacles supplied by the town for automatic lift pick up. There is no mention in the ordinance of the change in can size. According to the ordinance they should be abiding by the same.
Here is the cited Neptune Town Code Section 21-3.2a:
Property owners and their agents, lessees, tenants or other occupants residing in residential dwellings who wish to have their solid waste disposed of by the Township shall:
a.
Place solid waste from their unit in appropriate containers, receptacles, and/or bundles as specified at the street curb if one exists or adjacent to but not on the street pavement if there is no curb. The number of containers, on each collection day, shall not exceed six (6) per single-residential unit or six (6) per multiple-dwelling unit provided; however, that there shall be allowed two (2) additional containers for each unit over three (3) units. Businesses will be allowed no more than six (6) receptacles on a single collection day. Each receptacle must not exceed forty-two (42) gallons in size or fifty (50) pounds in weight. The number of automated trash containers, on each collection day, shall not exceed three (3) ninety-five (95) gallon automated containers per single-residential unit or multiple-dwelling unit.