Due to citizen concerns and an increased number of donation boxes in the city, the Paris City Council recently adopted a new ordinance to manage their placement, construction, and aesthetics.
The ordinance does not restrict who may operate a donation box or the type of materials to be collected.
The ordinance has an effective date of June 1, and enforcement begins July 1.
The new ordinance is patterned after one from the City of Arlington and limits the location of donation boxes to industrial and commercial zoning districts and includes setback requirements to ensure they do not impede traffic.
The size, required signage, construction materials, appearance, and necessary maintenance of the boxes will also be governed. With minor specific exceptions, only one box will be permitted per property.
“We’ve received questions from citizens about the operators of some of the boxes around the city. These potential contributors wanted to know which organization would be receiving their donations,” City Attorney Stephanie Harris said.
“This ordinance will require the owner of each box to be clearly displayed and provides regulations to address health and safety issues and the concentration and appearance of the boxes.”
Permit requirements include written consent from the property owner for the placement of the box, color limitations, and display of the owner’s contact information with a notice that all donations must fit inside the box.
Permit recipients must also agree to keep the area within 25 feet of the box clean and free of debris or overflowing donated materials.
Box owners will be required to apply for and purchase an annual permit for each box.
The annual permit fee is $200 per box. The Building Safety and Permits Office, located in the City Hall Annex at 150 SE 1st Street, will begin processing permit applications on June 1.
Violations of the ordinance will be Class C misdemeanors punishable by fines of up to $500.00, and each day the violation continues is a separate offense.
If the city is forced to remove a non-conforming donation box, a $200 impoundment fee and a storage fee of $20 per day will be assessed.
