SMC 7.08.060 governs the location of solid-waste and source-separated containers; carts should be at the curb the night before pickup and may not be stored in view of the public street between collection days.
SMC 7.08.060 (Location of solid waste and source separated materials containers) requires that containers be kept on the premises generating the waste, in a location accessible to the franchised collector on collection day. The City of Sonoma's Sort It Sonoma! program and Sonoma Garbage Collectors instruct customers to place all three carts (blue recycle, green organics, gray trash) curbside the night before collection because routes begin early in the morning. Carts should be returned promptly after pickup. Each cart must be set with the lid opening facing the street, with at least 2-3 feet between carts and 3 feet of clearance from cars, mailboxes, and other obstacles to allow the automated truck arm to operate (a CalRecycle/industry standard adopted by SGC's service rules). The 96-gallon carts are the property of the franchised hauler.
Improperly placed or unattended carts left in the public right-of-way outside collection days can be cited as a nuisance under SMC 14.30 (Public Nuisances) and addressed via SMC Ch. 1.28 administrative citations ($100 / $200 / $500 escalating). Damaged or lost carts are billed at SGC replacement cost. Stored or visible carts in violation of architectural standards in the historic Plaza district can trigger Design Review enforcement.
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