Time is ticking for the owner of a property in downtown Belleville to clean up an overflowing garbage dumpster or he could be handed a sizable fine.
Chief Building Officer for the City of Belleville Ted Marecak, says the City received complaints in December 2014, that there was continued garbage accumulation in a dumpster at 307 Front Street near an adjacent business.
A spokesperson for the adjacent business says the garbage smells, the wind is always blowing it around their parking lot and the customers are complaining about it being an eyesore.
Marecak says the garbage will be cleaned up one way or another and the owner of the property has until end of day Wednesday January 28 to clean it up or the City will come in and do it at owner’s expense.
Marecak says the owner could face a $400 fine if he fails to comply with the order, following that, he says, he will have to pay for cleanup and the inspection afterwards.
Marecak says a by-law officer spoke with the owner this morning and he is aware of the ramifications of not doing the work.
Matthew Hawley owns the property at 307 Front Street and he says this issue has been a nightmare. Hawley says the dumpster is rented by the owner of the rental units at 311 Front Street and because it there is no property at 311 they put the dumpster on his land.
He says he’s tried to get a hold of the owner of 311 Front who lives in the Toronto area to get it off his property with no success.
Hawley says now he’s forced to pay to have it cleaned up on Wednesday adding he is renting a tractor to make the dumpster disappear.