ADRIAN — Now that the city of Adrian’s new refuse and recycling service has been in place for more than two months, the city continues to gauge the public’s understanding and comprehension of the ordinance and its specifics.

In August, the Adrian City Commission vented its concerns about residents leaving the new residential trash and recycling totes out at the curb for extended periods of time after pickup had been completed. That same concern was addressed during the commission’s Sept. 6 premeeting work session.

Since the issue continues to persist, Adrian City Administrator Greg Elliott called it a “pretty substantial” concern at this time.

However, after the commission expressed the issue at its first meeting in August, it became clear to Elliott the city’s ordinance was missing language specific to when trash totes needed to be brought back in from the curb. Such language was part of the ordinance regarding recycling services.

"It was written with the idea that people were taking bags out to the curb," he said. "Well, when you take bags out to the curb, you don’t bring them back in. They go away.”

To address this, Elliott said the city is simply mirroring the ordinance’s language after the recycling service. All totes — trash and recycling — must be removed from the curb no later than 8 p.m. the day of pickup. Totes can be placed to the streets and in front of houses as early as 6 p.m. Monday for a Tuesday pickup.

Commissioner Gordon Gauss, meanwhile, expressed a concern with the city’s stance of an 8 p.m. removal time. He suggested the city consider changing the removal time to 7 a.m. the morning after pickup day. His concern, he said, was for those residents who might have to work late on trash-recycling day, and for those residents who work second shifts.

Gauss’s concern was met with support from Adrian Mayor Angie Sword Heath.

“A second shift worker would already be gone to work,” Heath said. “I would hate to see (residents) get a warning or fine or anything of the sort because they just weren't home yet to get it back.”

Since the amendments to the trash ordinance were discussed at the premeeting, there was no action of approval conducted at the commission’s regular meeting. It was stated during the regular meeting that a first reading and introduction of an ordinance was underway.

A second question regarding trash and recycling totes arose during the premeeting: Where can the totes properly be stored when not in use?

Several of the commissioners, along with Heath, cited several incidences of totes being left at the curb, placed behind sidewalks, in the front yard and in some cases on front porches for storage.

What has been proposed to address this issue, Elliott said, is that totes must be stored in an enclosed structure, such as a garage or shed; they must be placed behind a fence; or anywhere behind the front line of the dwelling. The goal, he said, is to make sure totes are not left in the front yard of a property.

Such language to enforce the storage and placement of the totes was derived from the city of Tecumseh, Elliott said. He spoke with Tecumseh City Manager Dan Swallow recently and was informed about Tecumseh’s ordinance regarding trash and recycling totes.

In one specific case of Tecumseh’s ordinance, Elliott said, it states that totes must be out of sight from the city streets and stored behind dwellings.

In many cases around Adrian, commissioner Mary Roberts said, there are not a lot of people who are even moving their totes behind the front line of the house. Other residences, she added, have such a limited yard space that there really is no other space for totes to be stored.

“We have this discussion of where the trash totes can and can’t be,” Roberts said. “To me, that's a pretty substantial discussion that we should be having.

“…Are we going to allow any kind of variance for people that have incredibly small driveways?”

Commissioner Allen Heldt, in response, raised the question of “Where did people store trash bags before they had totes?” After reviewing the ordinance with its amendments, Heldt said he was comfortable moving forward with the changes.

“If you take a poll of the cities in Michigan and find out who allows bags and who doesn’t, I guarantee you we were in the minority before we changed over," he said. "People will find a place to store (their totes).”

To enforce those totes being left at the curb, Elliott said, the city will place a sticker over the lip of the tote’s lid, which will inhibit the lid from being opened unless the sticker is ripped off. The sticker should serve as a first notice to residents that something must be done about the tote.

“Our hope is that will educate people,” he said. “If that doesn’t work, then the next step, as always, is citation. Our hope is that (stickers) will be sufficient.”

Residents are also struggling with the city’s biweekly recycling schedule, commissioner Lad Strayer said. While trash is collected every week, recycling is collected every other week.

To make sure city residents are aware of the impending changes to the ordinance and to provide them with a reminder regarding the recycling schedule, Heath suggested such information be shared on the city’s social media pages and mailed out with resident’s water bills.

Elliott said he and city attorney John Gillooly are pleased with the rewording of the ordinance at this time. It was also imperative, Elliott said, to remove the word “bag” out of the residential trash ordinance, since the city’s ordinance is reflective of the use of totes.

If the ordinance changes are approved by the commission, the city will certify the adoption of the ordinance, which will take full force and effect 10 days after the date of adoption and publication.