In 2021, more than 450 residents filed complaints about carts left at the street. The City has responded to those complaints by sending a Field Operations staff member out to deliver a notice informing the household about the City ordinance that requires them to move the container. There was no formal way to enforce the ordinance until the rollback $25 fee was created in 2022.

You can make reports during weekdays – except the day before or the day of the neighborhood’s service day. The Contact Center will take complaints after 7am the day after their service day.

You may remain anonymous. However, staff prefers to have a complainant contact if follow up is necessary. 

Staff will direct their efforts based on complaints received by the City Contact Center. Staff will not patrol. However, when they go out to investigate a complaint, they will leave notices for any carts left at the street in the immediate vicinity. 

When the City receives complaints about trash and/or recycling carts being at the curb too long, staff will go out to the address to assess. 

Because residents cannot report carts left at the street too long the day before or the day of someone's collection day, the report will be made in the days after collection day. 

Staff usually do not inspect an address the same day a complaint is made due to other work already planned for the day, so they will go out to inspect when time allows and take appropriate action then. 

Staff will roll your trash and/or recycling carts away from the street as a courtesy and leave a reminder about when carts must be removed from the street. 

If there are no more complaints that result in staff rolling your cart away from the street for 12 months, the first will fall off your address. If staff receive more complaints and roll cart(s) away from the street within a 12 month period, the property owner will be charged a cart rollback fee. 

City staff will move the cart(s) out of the right-of-way. Staff will not go behind homes, just leave the cart, with a notice, nearer to the home than the street. 

It is $25 per occurrence. A household will receive one warning and a courtesy removal of carts per rolling calendar year.