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Cleveland Overview
Cleveland, OH Code of Ordinances
CITY OF CLEVELAND, OHIO CODE OF ORDINANCES
CHARTER OF THE CITY OF CLEVELAND
PART ONE: ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
PART TWO: HEALTH CODE
PART THREE: LAND USE CODE
PART FOUR: TRAFFIC CODE
PART FIVE: MUNICIPAL UTILITIES AND SERVICES CODE
TITLE I: STREET AND SIDEWALK AREAS
TITLE III: ELECTRICITY
TITLE V: WATER SUPPLY
TITLE VII: SEWERS AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL
TITLE IX: MUNICIPAL SERVICES
CHAPTER 551 - WASTE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL
§ 551.01 Definitions
§ 551.02 Approved Waste Containers
§ 551.021 Waste Containers Used for Commercial Solid Waste
§ 551.022 Solid Waste Collection Fee Fixed Rate
§ 551.03 Unacceptable Containers
§ 551.04 Setting Out Containers
§ 551.041 Infractions Related to Automated Waste Collection and Curbside Recycling
§ 551.05 Special Waste
§ 551.051 Minimum Collection Intervals
§ 551.06 Responsibility to Provide Containers and Location of Containers
§ 551.07 Wrapping and Storage of Garbage
§ 551.08 Scattering Solid Waste
§ 551.081 Scavenging of Recyclable Materials Prohibited
§ 551.082 Scavenging of Solid Waste
§ 551.09 Public Solid Waste Containers
§ 551.10 Commercial Waste Disposal
§ 551.11 Commercial Waste Disposal Charges
§ 551.111 Setting out an Excessively Large Quantity of Waste for Collection Prohibited; Applicability; Penalty
§ 551.112 Dumpster and Compactor Rentals
§ 551.113 Agreements for the Use of the Ridge Road Transfer Station
§ 551.12 Certificates of Commercial Waste Collection Contract
§ 551.13 Unauthorized Removal of Solid Waste
§ 551.14 Deposit of Dead Animals and Offensive Substances
§ 551.15 Removal of Dead Animals
§ 551.16 Prohibited Material for Filling and Grading
§ 551.17 Manure and Fertilizer
§ 551.18 Vehicles Containing Solid Wastes
§ 551.19 Licensing of Private Vehicles for Hauling Waste
§ 551.191 Waste Hauling Fee
§ 551.20 Denial, Revocation and Suspension of License
§ 551.21 Appeal from License Denial, Revocation or Suspension
§ 551.22 Hours of Collection and Transportation
§ 551.23 Cleaning Vehicles
§ 551.24 Vehicles and Boats with Offensive Lading
§ 551.25 Parking Vehicles
§ 551.26 Dumping Prohibited
§ 551.262 Reward for Information Regarding Illegal Dumping
§ 551.263 Cancellation of City Demolition Contracts for Dumping
§ 551.27 Vehicle Log
§ 551.28 Persons Prohibited from City Waste Facilities
§ 551.29 Use of City Transfer Site
§ 551.291 Transfer Station Service Charge
§ 551.30 Use of Tire Shredder
§ 551.301 Tire Shredding Service Charge
§ 551.31 Waste Disposal Facility License Required
§ 551.32 License Application; Investigation; Fee
§ 551.33 Renewal of License
§ 551.34 Denial, Revocation and Suspension of License
§ 551.35 Appeal from License Denial, Revocation or Suspension
§ 551.351 Property Used for Transfer of Solid Waste
§ 551.36 Impounding of Vehicles
§ 551.37 Enforcement
§ 551.38 Disposal of Used Tires; Reporting
§ 551.39 Issuance of Tickets by Employees of the Department of Public Service
§ 551.99 Penalty
§ 551.991 Civil Infractions
CHAPTER 553 - MARKETS
CHAPTER 555 - WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
CHAPTER 557 - CEMETERIES
CHAPTER 559 - PARKS
CHAPTER 561 - LANDFILLS - REPEALED
TITLE XI: PORT CONTROL
PART SIX: OFFENSES AND BUSINESS ACTIVITIES CODE
TITLE VIIA: CLEVELAND NEIGHBORHOOD FORM-BASED CODE
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§ 551.37 Enforcement
   Any employee of the Department of Public Health and Welfare designated by the Director of such department has the same powers to enforce this chapter as a police officer of the City.
(Ord. No. 773-A-80. Passed 12-14-81, eff. 12-16-81)
§ 551.38 Disposal of Used Tires; Reporting
   (a)   Registration. No person, firm, or corporation shall accept for disposal more than five (5) automobile, truck, motorcycle, or bicycle tires in any one (1) calendar month in any one (1) year unless and until the person, firm, or corporation has registered with the Commissioner of Assessments and Licenses as a source of waste tires. The Commissioner of Assessments and Licenses shall furnish a registration form for the purposes of the registration, and, upon the payment of a fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00), shall issue a certificate of registration, which may apply to all locations at which the registrant does business. Registrations shall be renewed annually. The form for registration shall contain the name and address of the registrant, and if a partnership, the names and addresses of all partners, and if a corporation, the name of the corporation and the names and addresses of the officers and the statutory agent and shall contain additional information as deemed necessary by the Commissioner of Assessments and Licenses. Copies of all certificates of registration issued by the Commissioner of Assessments and Licenses shall be provided to the Commissioner of Environment. The Commissioner of Assessments and Licenses shall also provide a copy of any certificate of registration to the Council member in whose ward the registrant's premises is located on a quarterly basis.
   (b)   Reporting. Except as provided in this section, all persons, firms, or corporations registered under division (a) of this section shall report tire disposal activity to the Commissioner of Environment by submitting a monthly tire disposal report to the Commissioner of Environment on a form promulgated by the Commissioner for that purpose. The monthly tire disposal report form shall contain the date and time that tires were hauled off the registrant's premises during the previous month. The form shall also require disclosure of the identity of each waste hauler transporting tires off the registrant's premises, and the license tag number of each truck used to transport tires off the registrant's premises. The monthly tire disposal report form shall cover a calendar month and be submitted to the Commissioner of Environment no later than ten (10) days after the last date of the calendar month in question. The Commissioner of the Environment shall provide a copy of every tire disposal report submitted by the registrant to the Council member in whose ward the registrant's premises is located on a quarterly basis.
   (c)   If a person, firm or corporation operating a repair garage as defined in Section 325.30 disposes of its tires exclusively by contract with a tire disposal entity registered under division (a) above, and a copy of the contract is filed with the Commissioner of Assessments and Licenses with the registration required under division (a) above, then the person, firm, or corporation is not required to report as required in division (b) above.
   (d)   No person, firm, or corporation who disposes of tires shall fail to register as a source of waste tires as provided in division (a) of this section, or fail to submit monthly tire disposal report forms to the Commissioner of Environment as provided in division (b) of this section, or fail to provide complete information required by the forms.
   (e)   No person, firm, or corporation shall engage another for the purpose of hauling waste tires unless the waste hauler is licensed under Section 551.19 et seq. of this chapter.
   (f)   Whoever violates any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(Ord. No. 1076-13. Passed 9-23-13, eff. 9-27-13)
§ 551.39 Issuance of Tickets by Employees of the Department of Public Service
   In addition to any other means of enforcement provided for in these Codified Ordinances, the Director of Public Service and his or her designees, when commissioned by the Director of Public Safety as special police, may enforce the minor misdemeanor offenses contained in this chapter through the issuance of citations in accordance with Rule 4.1 of the Rules of Criminal Procedure.
(Ord. No. 617-97. Passed 6-9-97, eff. 6-18-97)
   Note: Section 551.39 was renumbered from 551.38 by Ord. No. 1483-97, passed 8-13-97, eff. 8-20-97.
§ 551.99 Penalty
   (a)   Whoever violates any provision of the following sections is guilty of a minor misdemeanor:
Waste Containers Used for Commercial Solid Waste
Wrapping and Storage of Garbage
Scattering Solid Waste
Public Solid Waste Containers
551.10, div. (a)
Commercial Waste Disposal
Deposit of Dead Animals and Offensive Substances
551.15, div. (a)
Removal of Dead Animals
Manure and Fertilizer
Cleaning Vehicles
Persons Prohibited from City Waste Facilities
551.04, divs. (a)through (f)
Setting Out Containers
Scavenging of Recyclable Materials Prohibited
551.082, div. (a)
Scavenging of Solid Waste
Vehicles Containing Solid Wastes
Vehicles and Boats with Offensive Lading
Parking Vehicles
 
   (b)   Whoever violates any provision of Section 551.19 or division (a) of Section 551.351 shall be fined one thousand dollars ($1,000.00).
   (c)   Whoever violates any provision of division (c) of Section 551.16, Sections 551.22 or 551.31 shall be fined two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) or imprisoned for up to thirty (30) days, or both, for the first offense, and five hundred dollars ($500.00) or imprisoned for up to sixty (60) days, or both, for each subsequent offense.
   (d)   Whoever violates any provision of Sections 551.12 or 551.27 shall be fined one hundred dollars ($100.00) for the first offense and two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) or imprisoned for up to thirty (30) days, or both, for each subsequent offense.
   (e)   Whoever violates any provision of division (b) of Section 551.26 shall be fined one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) and shall be imprisoned for not less than sixty (60) days and not more than six (6) months.
   (f)   Whoever violates any provision of division (c) of Section 551.26 shall be fined not less than five hundred dollars ($500.00) and not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) or imprisoned for not more than six (6) months, or both.
   (g)   Notwithstanding any other provision of these Codified Ordinances, no part of a penalty imposed under this section shall in any case be suspended or otherwise reduced.
(Ord. No. 545-2022. Passed 6-6-22, eff. 6-13-22)
§ 551.991 Civil Infractions
   (a)   Civil Enforcement System Established. The City of Cleveland hereby adopts a civil enforcement system for the infractions established by this section. This civil enforcement system imposes monetary liability on the responsible parties as defined in division (m).
   In addition to any other means of enforcement provided for in these Codified Ordinances, each of the following sections may be enforced through the issuance of a ticket to the responsible parties as defined in division (m):
      (1)   Section 551.04, division (d), relating to the early set out of waste.
      (2)   Section 551.04, division (e), relating to failing to remove a waste container after collection.
      (3)   Section 551.111, division (a) and division (b), relating to excessively large quantity of waste for collection.
      (4)   Section 551.041, division (a), relating to automated waste collection and recycling infractions.
      (5)   Section 551.06, relating to responsibility to provide containers and location of containers.
   Any person who violates any of the foregoing prohibitions has committed an infraction for which liability is imposed by division (b) upon the responsible parties as defined in division (m).
   (b)   Liability Imposed. Each owner of a parcel at which an infraction has occurred is liable to the City of Cleveland in the amounts established in divisions (f) and (g).
   (c)   Noncriminal Offense; No Conviction. The infractions established by this section are noncriminal. The imposition of liability upon the responsible parties under this section shall not be deemed a conviction for any purpose.
   (d)   Other Costs and Penalties Not Abrogated. Nothing in this section shall be construed as altering or limiting the effects of any other section of these Codified Ordinances, the criminal penalties imposed by any such other section, or the ability of a law enforcement officer to enforce those sections.
   (e)   Tickets – Service; Contents. If a violation of division (a) is observed by an employee of the Division of Waste Collection and Disposal or any other City employee whose duties include the enforcement of this section, then the Director of Public Works shall cause the responsible parties to be issued a ticket. The ticket shall be served by sending it via regular U.S. mail, postage prepaid, to the parcel owner(s) at the tax mailing address shown in the records of the County Recorder.
   The date of mailing of the ticket shall be deemed to be the date of issuance of the ticket. If the mailing is unreturned, then it shall establish that the respondents were given actual or constructive notice of the imposition of liability under this section.
   The ticket shall identify the parcel owner(s) as respondents. The ticket shall state that the respondents are responsible parties for the commission of a civil infraction under this section.
   The ticket shall inform the respondents of the procedure to file an appeal and the time frame for filing it. The ticket shall state that failure to appeal the ticket or pay the costs imposed not later than twenty (20) days from the date of issuance of the ticket shall constitute a waiver of the right to contest the ticket and shall be considered an admission. The ticket shall further state that if the ticket is not appealed or paid in that time frame, then a default finding of civil liability shall be imposed upon respondents for the costs established in divisions (f) and (g).
   The ticket may be in any format that includes all of the elements required by this section.
   (f)   Penalties Established. The costs imposed by this section upon the responsible parties for the commission of an infraction contrary to division (a) shall be assessed in accordance with the following schedule:
 
Section
Civil Penalty
551.111, division (a)
$100.00. However, if the quantity of solid waste exceeds ten (10) approved waste containers, forty (40) bags of yard waste, forty (40) bundles or brush or tree trunks, eight (8) tires, or six (6) special waste items, the civil penalty shall be $350.00.
551.111, division (b)
$100.00. However, if the quantity of solid waste exceeds ten (10) approved waste containers, forty (40) bags of yard waste, forty (40) bundles of brush or tree trunks, or six (6) special waste items, the civil penalty shall be $350.00
551.04, division (d)
$100.00
551.04, division (e)
$100.00
551.041, division (a)
$100.00
$100.00
 
   The costs established by this section are imposed upon the responsible parties both as civil penalties and to reimburse the City for a portion of the costs incurred by it in the enforcement of infractions, and for some infractions, the increased costs of solid waste disposal.
   (g)   Late Penalties. Late penalties shall be assessed in accordance with the following schedule:
      (1)   If the costs established in division (f) remain unpaid twenty (20) days after the ticket is issued or twenty (20) days after the conclusion of all appeals, an additional twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be assessed; and
      (2)   If the costs established in division (f) remain unpaid forty (40) days after the ticket is issued or forty (40) days after the conclusion of all appeals, an additional forty dollars ($40.00) shall be added to the twenty dollars ($20.00) assessed under division (g)(1) for a total additional penalty of sixty dollars ($60.00) in such a case.
   (h)   Appeals – Timing. Any respondent or other person who is potentially liable for the costs imposed by this section may appeal the imposition of liability to the Director of Public Works or his or her designee, which may include the Clerk of the Cleveland Municipal Court in his or her capacity as Parking Violations Bureau Administrator or otherwise, in the manner described in the ticket. As used in divisions (h), (i) and (j) of this section, “Director” means the Director of Public Works or his or her designee.
   The appeal shall be taken not later than twenty (20) days from the date of issuance of the ticket. Failure to appeal the ticket or pay the costs imposed within this time period shall constitute a waiver of the right to contest the ticket and shall be considered an admission.
   (i)   Appeal – Process. The Director shall establish an administrative appeal process for persons to appeal tickets issued under this section. The administrative appeal process shall allow the appellant the right to present appellant’s case in person and may allow for evidence to be presented ex-parte. The strict rules of evidence applicable to courts of law shall not apply in any administrative hearing or ex-parte review. The ticket charging the offense shall constitute prima facie evidence that the offense identified in the ticket occurred and that the parcel owner(s) to whom the ticket was mailed are the responsible parties as defined in division (m) and are liable to the City of Cleveland for the costs imposed by this section.
   If the Director finds by a preponderance of evidence that an appellant is liable under this section for the costs assessed, then the Director shall dismiss the appeal and order the appellant to pay the costs identified in the ticket.
   If the Director finds by a preponderance of evidence that an appellant is liable under this section for the costs assessed but that there are reasons for the commission of the infraction that mitigate the offense, then the Director shall dismiss the appeal and order the appellant to pay the costs identified in the ticket, but may in the interest of equity reduce the costs assessed.
   If the Director finds by a preponderance of evidence that the appellant is not liable under this section for the costs assessed, then the Director shall dismiss the ticket and grant the appeal.
   (j)   Appeal of the Director’s Decision. Any person subject to an adverse decision of the Director may appeal that decision to the Board of Zoning Appeals. The notice of appeal shall be in writing and shall be filed with the Board of Zoning Appeals within ten (10) days of the decision of the Director. The Board shall approve, modify or annul the finding from which the appeal is taken.
   (k)   Collection. The costs imposed by this section may be enforced and collected by means of a civil action or any other means provided for in these Codified Ordinances or the Ohio Revised Code.
   (l)   Rules and Regulations. The Director of Public Works may issue rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of these sections, which shall be effective thirty (30) days after their publication in the City Record.
   (m)   Definitions. As used in this section:
      (1)   “Director” means the Director of Public Works and in the case of appeals, the Director of Public Works or his or her designee.
      (2)   “Owner” or “parcel owner” mean the person(s) shown in the records of the County Recorder as having legal title to the parcel on which someone has failed to adhere to division (a).
      (3)   “Person” includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association.
      (4)   “Responsible party” and “responsible parties” has the same meaning as “owner” or “parcel owner”.
(Ord. No. 545-2022. Passed 6-6-22, eff. 6-13-22)