A. “Ancillary disposal providers” are those persons that offer delivery, maintenance or cleanup services that, by their nature, include a disposal function. Ancillary disposal providers must provide a legitimate service other than garbage collection and disposal services equivalent to those provided by a city-contracted solid waste collector. Examples of ancillary disposal providers include, but are not limited to, businesses that deliver new appliances, carpets or other furnishings and remove and dispose of the replaced item; contractors that self-haul construction and demolition wastes that they produce during the course of their regular business activities; and cleanup services that include a container or truck loading function in addition to hauling and disposal.

B. “Business of solid waste collection” means every person or that person’s lessees, receivers, or trustees that own, control, operate or manage vehicles used in the business of collection, compaction, transportation, processing, and/or disposal of solid waste for compensation over any public street, highway, or right-of-way in the city; provided, however, that persons offering (1) solid waste compaction services through the use of vehicles which do not travel upon the public streets, highways, and/or rights-of-way of the city while such vehicles contain solid waste, or (2) ancillary disposal services, shall not be considered to be in the business of solid waste collection.

C. “City-contracted collector” (also referred to as a solid waste hauler) means any person that has entered into a contract with the city for collection of solid waste from commercial, multifamily and residential properties within the city.

D. “Code compliance officer” means the city’s authorized representative for enforcing city and county codes.

E. “Collector of solid waste,” sometimes termed “collector,” means the city exercises its right to collect and dispose of refuse utilizing its own employees.

F. “Contamination” means the amount of solid waste (garbage) placed incorrectly on purpose or by accident in recycling or organics (yard debris and food scraps) carts for collection.

G. “Customer” means any person in possession, charge or control of any dwelling, flat, rooming house, apartment house, condominium unit, trailer park, mobile home park, motel, hospital, hotel, school, club, restaurant, boarding house, or meeting place or in possession, charge or control of any shop, place of business, or manufacturing establishment where refuse is collected or accumulated.

H. “Garbage” includes all putrescible and nonputrescible solid and semisolid wastes, including, but not limited to, rubbish, ashes, industrial wastes, swill, demolition and construction wastes, small dead animals completely wrapped in plastic and weighing less than 15 pounds, but not including recognized industrial by-products and discarded commodities that are placed by customers of the contractor in appropriate bins, bags, cans or other receptacles for collection and disposal by the contractor. Needles or “sharps” used for the administration of medication are included in the definition of garbage; provided, that they are placed within a sealed secure container as agreed upon by the city and the contractor. The term “garbage” shall not include hazardous wastes, special wastes, and source separated recyclables or organics.

I. “Multifamily” means mobile home parks, multiplexes (five or more attached or unattached units), condominiums, and apartments billed collectively.

J. “Person” means every natural person, firm, partnership, association, institution and corporation. The term also means the occupant and/or the owner of the premises for which service mentioned in this chapter is rendered.

K. “Organics” means all separately or combined yard debris and food waste/scraps. The words “food waste/scraps” mean all compostable pre- and post-consumer food scraps, such as whole or partial pieces of produce, meats, bones, cheese, bread, cereals, coffee grounds and egg shells, and food-soiled paper such as paper napkins, paper towels, paper plates, coffee filters, paper take-out boxes, pizza boxes, paper milk cartons or other paper products accepted by the contractor’s selected composting site. Food waste shall not include large dead animals, plastics, diapers, cat litter, liquid wastes, pet wastes or other materials prohibited by the selected composting facility.

L. “Recyclables” means the materials designated as being part of residential, multifamily or commercial recycling collection program, as established in the contract with the solid waste hauler. The contract and list of recyclable materials shall be on file for review and available at the city clerk’s office and available on the solid waste hauler website for customer review.

M. “Solid waste” means all putrescible and nonputrescible solid and semisolid wastes. For the purposes of this chapter, “solid waste” includes, but is not limited to, garbage, rubbish, ashes, industrial wastes, materials placed in residential recycling and organics containers, demolition and construction wastes, and swill; provided, however, that “solid waste” does not include recognized industrial by-products, commercial recyclable materials, sewage sludge, septage or abandoned vehicles or parts thereof.

N. “Yard debris” means leaves, grass, and clippings of woody as well as fleshy plants. Unflocked whole holiday trees are acceptable. Materials larger than four inches in diameter or four feet in length are excluded. Bundles of yard debris up to two feet by two feet by four feet in dimension shall be allowed and shall be secured by degradable string or twine, not nylon or other synthetic materials. Kraft paper bags and untied reusable plastic bags may be used to contain extra yard debris beyond the amount that fits within the customer’s yard debris cart.