BY JIMMY LAWTONNorth Country This Week

OGDENSBURG -- Ogdensburg residents can expect changes to the spring cleanup which is set to start on April 1 and continue through Memorial Day.

The biggest change will be the implementation of penalties. The changes are coming due to a variety of reasons including staffing limitations, lack of compliance, growing costs and land fill that's filling up.

A large contributor to the changes was the state's decision to close the biomass facility at Fort Drum, according to some members of council.

Those who place yard waste for pickup outside of those scheudled dates will be issued a notice.

"If the provisions of the foregoing sections are not complied with, the Director of Public Works  shall serve written notice, upon the owner, lessee or occupant or any person having the care or control of any such lot or land to comply with the provisions of this chapter. If the person upon whom the notice is served fails, neglects or refuses to remove said yard waste within five business days from the date of mailing of such notice, the Director of Public Works shall cause such yard waste on such land or lands to be removed by City staff or private contractor," the new provision says.

“The Director of Public Works will determine, through his/her inspection and if necessary, records from the appropriate agencies, whether a property can be safely entered and the work safely performed, either by City staff or private contractor. The actual cost of such removal, plus a $50 civil penalty for the first violation, $200 for the second violation and $400 for all subsequent violations (in the same calendar year) and a 10% inspection fee (based upon the sum of actual costs and civil penalty not to exceed $50), shall be certified by the Director of Public Works to the City Comptroller and shall thereupon become and be a lien upon the property on which such yard waste were located and shall be added to and become and form part of the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon such lot or land and shall bear interest at the same rate as taxes and shall be collected and enforced by the same officer in the same manner as taxes."

It was clarified that the violations would only be considered consecutive if they are within the same calendar year.

Additionally the pick up schedule was changed to remove the summer pickup which previously took place in July prior to the Seaway Festival.

Fall pickup will continue beginning the second weekend Sunday of October and continuing until the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

City residents will be able to drop off yard waste at the landfill located on outer Champlain Street between April 1 and Dec. 1, but a new fee will be implemented for larger trees and limbs dropped off there.

The fee for dropping off limbs in excess of 6 inches in diameter or 6 feet in length will be $50, per load for 6 cubic yards of less and $100 per load for 6 cubic yards or more.

Ogdensburg resident Greg McNamara spoke on this matter with concerns that the fee schedule disproportionately impacts those who bring smaller loads. For instance someone dropping off 25 cubic yards would be charged the same as someone dropping off 6.5 cubic yards.

Although the resolutions passed, the council instructed DPW Director Shane Brown to revisit that matter. One of the issues surrounding that, would be the lack of a way to measure the loads.

The landfill will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and further details can be found on Ogdensburg.org.