By ANTHONY BOTTAN
At the village board meeting on Aug. 20, Mayor Brian Curran announced the measures the village will take to launch its "Clean Up Lynbrook" campaign. The fine for first-time litterers can now reach $350, and increase to as much as $500 for second-time offenders if they have had a previous littering violation within 18 months.
In addition, the definition of litter in the village's local law has been updated, and now includes any garbage or rubbish that creates a danger to public health and safety or renders sidewalks, streets, public or private property a public nuisance.
If litter is judged to create a public nuisance, village officials will either post a notice on the premises where the violation occurs or serve the notice in person. If the garbage is not removed within three days of the notice, the village will arrange and pay for the disposal of the trash, and the cost will be charged to the owner of the property on his or her next tax bill. A judge may decide, however, to sentence a violator to eight hours of community service in lieu of a fine.
Curran said he hopes the legislation will put an end to the extensive littering in the downtown area. "The downtown is disgusting, and hopefully this legislation will help clean it up," he said.
Problems with commercial businesses dumping their trash too early or using village garbage bins as dumpsters were also addressed by the board. Department of Public Works Superintendent Phil Healey said the department spends 1,600 man-hours per year cleaning up garbage that is not disposed of properly and ends up in storm drains or is strewn on roads and sidewalks.
The board also made amendments to the litter law as it pertains to the maintenance of sidewalks, curbs and gutters. Property owners or tenants must now keep litter and garbage at least 18 inches from the curb line, to prevent residents or business owners from blowing the refuse into the street and leaving the village to clean it up. Residents must also clear their sidewalks, curbs and gutters of litter every business day by 10 a.m. Violators will be fined up to $350 for a first offense and up to $500 for a second offense.
Curran did say that fines would be levied at the discretion of the village court. For example, he said, a teenager who throws a plastic cup out a car window will not be hit with a $350 fine, but someone who dumps a garbage bag full of trash on the side of a street will receive a substantial fine. Curran said he wants to be proactive with the campaign in order to help revitalize the village's downtown.
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