City of Brunswick Ordinances

Sec. 16-7. Littering or dumping

(a) As used herein, the term "litter" means all kinds of garbage, trash, rubbish, refuse, debris and junk, including kitchen waste, glass, cans, bottles, plastic or paper containers, newspapers, magazines, gravel, slag, dirt, concrete, construction materials, dead animals, abandoned motor vehicles and parts thereof, discarded furniture and appliances, leaves and other lawn or garden waste and other refuse and discarded matter of every kind and description.

(b) The term "public or private property" shall mean the right-of way of any street, highway or alley, any public building and the grounds thereof, marshland and any body of water or watercourse and the shores thereof, any park, playground or recreational area, and private property which is open to view from public property or other private property.

(c) A person commits the offense of littering or dumping by dropping, throwing, depositing, dumping or leaving litter on any public or private property within the city, except in the following circumstances:

(1) If the litter is placed in a litter receptacle or container installed on such property,

(2) If the litter is being stored temporarily in an orderly and unobtrusive manner on private property in the course of routine commercial, institutional or industrial business operations,

(3) If litter such as discarded furniture or appliances or other items too large to be placed in a receptacle or container are being stored temporarily in an orderly and unobtrusive manner on residential property, not to exceed ten (10) days, or

(4) If leaves and other lawn and garden waste are left on or near the public right-of way, awaiting routine pickup by city employees.

(d) Notwithstanding any of the foregoing provisions, a person commits the offense of littering or dumping by dropping, throwing, depositing, dumping or leaving litter in any ditch, stream, creek, river, watercourse, body of water or the shores thereof or in any marsh or any retention basin or sewer that regularly or periodically carries surface water runoff.

(e) Notwithstanding any of the forgoing provisions, a person commits the offense of littering or dumping by dropping, throwing, depositing, dumping or leaving litter in any dumpster within the city which such person is not authorized to use for the disposal of litter.

(f) Whenever litter is dropped, thrown, or dumped from any motor vehicle, boat or other conveyance in violation of this Code section, such fact shall constitute prima facie evidence that the operator of the conveyance is the person who has violated this Code section.

(g) Whenever any litter which has been dropped, thrown, deposited, dumped or left on any public or private property in violation of this Code section is discovered to contain any article or articles, including but not limited to letters, bills, publications or other writings which display the name of the person thereon in such manner as to indicate that the article belongs or belonged to such person, there shall be a rebuttable presumption that such person is the one who has violated this Code section.

(Ord. No. 903, § 5, 6-5-1991; Ord. No. 913, § 3, 8-18-1993)