Chico Municipal Code Ch. 8.08 governs storage and curbside placement of solid waste containers. Carts must be at the curb by 6 a.m. on collection day, removed the same day, and stored out of public view between pickups. The central business district has separate receptacle screening rules under CMC §8.12.085.
Per Chico Municipal Code Chapter 8.08 (Solid Waste Disposal — Storage and Collection) and the franchise hauler service rules incorporated by reference, residential carts must be set at the curb with wheels against the curb and lid closed by 6:00 a.m. on the scheduled collection day. Hauler service rules — enforced under the franchise agreement and CMC §8.08 — require at least three feet of clearance between each cart and from any parked car, mailbox, light pole, low tree branch, or other obstacle that would prevent the automated side-loader arm from reaching the cart. Carts must be removed from the street and returned to storage by the end of the collection day. Between collections, containers must be stored out of public view from the street (typically behind a fence, in a side yard, or in an enclosure). Within the Central Business District, CMC §8.12.085 imposes specific receptacle screening and location requirements for commercial bins. Empty cans, carts, or bags must not be left in the public right-of-way overnight; doing so can be cited as a nuisance under CMC Title 9.
Carts left at the curb beyond the collection day, blocking sidewalks, or stored visible from the street can result in a code enforcement notice and administrative citation under CMC §1.16 (administrative citations) — typically $100 first offense, $200 second, $500 third within 12 months. Improperly placed carts that obstruct the automated truck will be skipped (missed pickup); a return-trip fee applies. CBD violations of §8.12.085 can result in business citations.
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