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To report junk vehicles, contact the Police Department at 724-6750.
If you have a vehicle you need to get rid of, there are several salvage
yards that may come and get them and sometimes pay you, if you have
NOTE
NEW LEAF the title. If you do not have a title, call your local Secretary of State
ORDINANCE office. Local salvage yards / auto junkyards can be found in your
ON PAGE 2 phone book's yellow pages under "Automobile Wrecking & Salvage".
You may also be able to donate your car for a tax write-off. Again,
you need the title. Call 211 for information, or:
Property Maintenance Standards Volunteer Muskegon, 722-6600
2007 Cars for a Cause 1-888-448-5277
Part of understanding the community and being a good citizen means Kidney Cars Program 1- 800-488-2277
having to learn about local rules that impact your quality of life. This Lung Association Car Donation 1-800-577-5864
brochure is provided to help you be a good citizen. Remember, quality (Cars must be 1990 or newer)
neighborhoods benefit everyone by keeping our City an attractive,
clean and safe place to live and raise families. Following is Mowing and yard upkeep: During the growing season, (typically
information on some of our most common questions--or sources of April 15th October 15th) City rules require that grass and vegetation
complaints. Please become familiar with this information and call if be maintained so as to not exceed eight inches in height. Grass
you have any questions. clippings may not be in the roadway or gutter. The terrace (the area
between the curb and sidewalk) and alley areas must also be
Alleys: Residents must help maintain alleys by trimming brush, grass maintained. An Environmental Inspector will take action on properties
and picking up refuse to the center of the alley, even if it is outside that are not maintained. The City may also have weeds, grass, etc., cut
fenced areas. This includes mowing and keeping them free of garbage at the property owner's expense. You will receive only one letter per
and lawn waste. Alleys are graded and plowed if they are on the City's year for a tall grass/weeds violation. Subsequent violations will result
maintenance schedule. You may call the Department of Public Works in the City cutting the grass at the property owner's expense.
about alley maintenance (grading, plowing) at 724-4100.
Environmental Inspectors will send notices and may ticket unkempt Please, also keep shrubs and trees trimmed back at corners to prevent
areas adjacent to alleys. They may be contacted at 724-6702. traffic hazards and away from sidewalks for pedestrian safety. For
more information contact Environmental Services at 724-6702.
Building Maintenance : Continued maintenance of buildings (roof, Please do not put lawn clippings or leaves in the road, alley or gutter
paint, siding, porches, etc.) is the responsibility of the property owner. since they may clog storm drains, which can be costly to clear out.
Fences and walls must also be kept in good repair. For information on Call the Highway Department at 724-4100 to report dumping in the
the property maintenance code, call the Inspection Services street.
Department at 724-6715.
Parking: Cars may not be parked in the front yard unless on a paved
Junk Cars: Vehicles must be licensed, operable and in good repair. driveway. To keep streets clear for snowplows, City ordinance
The Police Department may tow inoperable or unlicensed vehicles. prohibits parking on all City streets from 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. from
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November 15th through April 15th. Vehicles parked on the street responsibility of the property owner.
during this period may be ticketed and/or towed at the owner's
expense. Parking is permitted in the winter on City terraces, but please Yards : Items like building materials, car parts, tires, household items,
use your driveway space if you have it. Parking in alleys is not tools, appliances, dismantled machinery, scattered trash, cardboard, or
permitted, since a clear path through the alley may be needed for domestic waste may not be openly stored in yards. If such items are
emergency vehicles. To report a vehicle in violation call the Police not disposed of properly or stored in a suitable manner (i.e., in a
Department at 724-6750. garage or shed) an Environmental Inspector will take action to initiate
clean-up. Action may include the City cleaning the property at the
Permits : property owner's expense and/or ticketing responsible parties. Call
Environmental Services at 724-6702 for more information.
Permits are needed in the City to divide parcels, clear land, and
construct fences, sheds or pools. Contact the Zoning Waste: Call the Department of Public Works at 724-4100 or 724-
Administrator or Code Coordinator at 724-6702. 6908. The Public Service Building is located at 1350 East Keating Ave
Permits are needed to remodel, wire, plumb, change heating or
cooling systems or to construct buildings. Contact the Inspection Leaves and yard waste: Leaf season begins September 1 st
Services Department at 724-6715. and ends April 30 th. Once leaf season has concluded,
Permits are needed to change or put in new driveway openings and unbagged leaves on a property with a principal structure
public sidewalks. Contact the Engineering Department at MUST be removed. Enforcement may begin May 1.
724-6707. Yard waste is picked on your garbage day and should not be set
by the curb until the night before. Yard waste service typically
Rental Units : Must be licensed and have a certificate of occupancy runs from the first week of April through the first week of
with the City. Call the Inspection Services Department at 724-6715. December, weather permitting. Yard waste (grass, leaves and
twigs) must be in paper bags or rigid containers only or the
Sidewalks: Sidewalk maintenance and repair is the responsibility of waste hauler will not pick it up. Rigid containers should be
the property owner. Sidewalks are supposed to be shoveled, free of labeled "yard waste". The Department of Public Works sells
overhanging shrubs or branches and not blocked by vehicles. Of paper leaf bags, as do most area stores. An Environmental
particular concern are uneven sidewalk slabs having a height Inspector will cite yard waste stored in plastic bags.
difference of 3/4 inches or more. These present serious hazards to
pedestrians. Sidewalks that are not maintained may be cited and the Branches and sticks need to be tied up with twine in
City may have repair work done with costs being charged to the manageable bundles no greater than four feet in length .
property owner. Call the Engineering Department at 724-6707. Branches can be no more than 4 inches in diameter. Large
limbs and trees coming from residential units may be disposed
Trees: Trees in the City terrace (generally the area between the of by making an appointment with the City's Solid Waste
sidewalk and curb) are planted and maintained by the City Forestry Coordinator at the Department of Public Works at 724-6908.
Department. Please report dangerous trees, downed limbs or dead or
diseased street trees to City Forestry. Trees on public property may Please keep leaves and other yard waste out of the gutter .
not be removed or trimmed without the consent of the City Forester. It's illegal, it clogs storm drains, and makes a huge mess when
Call the Forestry Department at 724-6783. Please note: Limbs falling plows go through! You may not rake leaves into the gutter,
off private trees onto the terrace or other public land are the road or alley. To report a violation, contact the Department of
Public Works at 724-4100.
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Garbage Pick-up: Curbside garbage pick-up is provided each garbage bag, etc.). If loose items do not have a sticker, you will
week at no charge. Your garbage day depends on your location in get a 24-hour violation notice, which could result in a clean-up bill.
the City. Garbage must be contained in the green plastic toters, We recommend that you staple the sticker on the item if there is a
which are obtained from the City. Toters must stay with the chance it will blow off. The stickers may be purchased for $2.00
property and can be replaced for a $55.00 fee if lost or stolen. each at the City Treasurer's Office in City Hall. If you buy five
Broken or damaged toters will be exchanged at no charge, as long garbage stickers, you get one free (six for $10.00). Stickers can
as the resident did not purposely cause the damage. Any refuse also be purchased by phone at 724-6720 using your credit card, for
not in a toter is not picked up unless it has a sticker . If trash an additional $3.00 fee.
accumulates on a property it will result in a clean-up and billing
and/or ticket to the property owner. Additional toters are available Toters: To keep neighborhoods looking neat and avoid spilling
for a fee of $55.00 each, plus $12.00 per month at residential sites trash, please do not overload your toter or recycling bin or put
or $15.00 per month at businesses or churches. The toter fee for a them out before 7:00 p.m. the night before garbage pick-up. After
new home is $55.00 and includes a blue recycling bin. toter and recycling bins are emptied, they are to be stored out of
public view. If a toter or recycling bin is not taken care of, you
Items that cannot be in the curbside trash pick-up include: may be ticketed or it could be taken away.
appliances without appliance stickers, hazardous waste, car
parts, building materials, plastic bags of grass or leaves, Spring Clean up: A dumpster day for each neighborhood is
batteries, tires, and items over 30 lbs. announced for both spring and fall. A dumpster is placed in each
Items that can be in the trash (with a hot pink sticker): neighborhood and residents can bring household items they want
mattress, metal and wood furniture, storm door, toilet, sink, to dispose of. Each neighborhood supervises its dumpster day.
household furniture, bed springs, windows, bathtubs, Contact the Department of Public Works for dates at 724-4100.
cardboard boxes (if flattened and tied).
Christmas Trees: natural trees are picked up curbside through the
Please be careful not to put items out that may be too large to second week of January.
handle. For example, rolls of carpet must be cut down and
rolled up in 4-foot lengths so the carriers and the equipment Recycling: The City provides free recycling every other week on
can handle it. Individual loose items should not weigh more your garbage collection day. The schedule depends on where you
than 30 pounds. live. Recycling bins can be purchased from the Department of
Public Works for $5.00. The program accepts clear glass,
To report a problem with garbage pickup, call the Department of aluminum and tin cans, aluminum foil, #2 plastic and paper such as
Public Works at 724-4100. cereal boxes, office paper, magazines, junk mail, etc. Sorry, no
Styrofoam, plastic grocer's bags or colored glass . Please
Appliances. Appliances require a separate neon green sticker, remember that labels must be peeled and containers rinsed before
which costs $25.00. Acceptable appliances include: refrigerator, being placed in recycling bins.
stove, dishwasher, microwave oven, washer, dryer, water heater,
trash compactor and dehumidifier. Special disposal needs: Note: Some places do have a small
disposal fee, so we recommend you call first:
Stickers: If you have more garbage than the toter can hold, you
must have a hot pink garbage sticker on each item (couch, extra
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For larger disposal needs you may go to Muskegon County NOTES:
Landfill, 9366 Apple Ave. Phone: 724-6001. Please contact them
for their hours of operation and current fee schedule.
Automobile batteries may be disposed of at D Auto Parts, 1450
East Bard Road, Phone: 766-3094 or at USA-1 Battery, 1225 S.
Getty Street: 722-0327.
Cement and brick may be disposed of locally at Verplank, 102 S.
Getty (this is an unmanned dumping site).
Household Hazardous Waste - Muskegon County Department of
Public Works periodically sponsors special household hazardous
waste collection. For information on hazardous wastes and the
next disposal time, call the County at 724-6525.
Metals such as tin cans, aluminum, copper, brass, bronze, iron,
steel, stainless steel, zinc, etc., may be disposed of at:
Shoreline Recycling, 259 Ottawa Street, Phone: 722-6081 (will
also accept refrigerators with freon in them for a fee).
West Michigan Recycling Center, 40 Harvey Street, Phone: 773-
7582
Beacon Recycling, 1241 E Keating, Phone: 727-0722
Or check your phone book's yellow pages under "Scrap"
Depending on the metal, you may get cash for scrap!
Oil - Most "quick change" oil service stations will take used motor
oil. You may also call the Department of Public Works Solid
Waste Coordinator at 724-6908 for disposal locations.
Tires: Thrifty Tire & Wheel, 25 W. Apple Ave. will take old tires
722-6041 (There is a charge for the tire disposal).
Misc. recycling: clear glass, paper, cardboard, tin, aluminum and
no. 2 plastic may be disposed of at Community Recycling, 1970 Prepared by the City of Muskegon Planning Department
Port City Boulevard, Phone: 773-8407.
Planning/COMMON/education/keepingupyourpropertytri-fold.doc
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