Administrative Regulation 11.14

ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:   AR: 11.14 DATE APPROVED: June 25, 2013
SUBJECT: Debris Removal on Private Property ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT: County Administrator

POLICY:


It shall be the policy of the Board of County Commissioners to assist Citrus County property owners in achieving clean and healthful private vacant premises under certain guidelines. The Board of County Commissioners finds it is potentially beneficial to all Citrus Countians when a public/private partnership yields a positive environmental 
result. 

BACKGROUND:


In a program coordinated through the Department of Public Works and the Sheriff's Office, members of the inmate population have been utilized for litter collection and light cleanup of certain public facilities and county right of ways. This program has been noteworthy in that it has been low cost and aesthetically and environmentally beneficial.  The idea was conceived not only to address public properties, but perhaps ongoing problems with trash and debris on private lands as well. Somewhat of a dilemma has been the potential time county owned equipment might need to be utilized to assist on larger jobs; another dilemma has been concern over the absorption of landfill tipping fees. This administrative regulation intends to strike a tolerable balance of private expense, county expense, and utilization of inmate resources.

PROCEDURE:

  1. A private property owner may seek assistance from Citrus County in the cleanup of litter, trash and debris on his or her property.
  2. The county will consider proceeding to assist subsequent to Department of Development Services certification that the property in question represents a significant health hazard and/or dumping site. 
  3. The property owner must authorize the work to be performed on his or her land by the county and hold the county harmless against any damage.
  4. The county will address cleanup of private property with an inmate work crew and other necessary equipment upon the property owner's commitment to pay the landfill tipping fee accumulated as a result of the cleanup. The county will offer only an estimate of the potential cost to the property owner. 
  5. A property owner may select instead to utilize owned or hired equipment and assistance to clear their property without county participation and the county will consent to waive 50% of the landfill-tipping fee. 
LIMITATIONS:

  1. This program is not intended to be expanded into providing county assistance in addressing routine or minor waste disposal and will only be considered subject to the provisions of "b" above.
  2. The county shall not be obligated to repeatedly assist on properties where chronic problems exist and are left unattended by the owners of said property.
  3. County-assisted cleanup or partial fee waiver shall be limited to single family residences or vacant parcels.
  4. The county is not obligated to assist when any condition potentially hazardous to inmates or employees exists, nor will cleanup assistance be offered to persons or properties under court order or state action.
  5. Scheduling of inmates and Public Works Department assistance will be at the discretion of the county.

FOOTNOTES & REFERENCES TO RELATED AR's: Supersedes AR 11.05.01 April 9, 1991