Local

Businesses upset with Tulsa’s dumpster rule

TULSA, Okla. — The City of Tulsa adopted a new ordinance in 2015, requiring dumpsters to be shielded from view.

The city gave those with dumpsters, businesses being the group affected most, two years to comply by installing a wall or fence around their dumpsters.

Click here to read the ordinance on Page 159 of the Tulsa Zoning Code

The city could have enforced the rule in 2017, but waited until 2019 to do so.

“It was time to start enforcing it.” Tulsa Mayor GT Bynum told KRMG after he says the city had been receiving complaints about dumpsters.

Some are unhappy with the ordinance and the seemingly sudden enforcement.

“Recently, a number of customers have contacted us stating they have been given official notice by the City of Tulsa that their business is in violation of this zoning code and have been given 10 days to comply or face stiff penalties, citations and fines if they do not build this structure required by the City.” Said Paul Ross, Vice President of American Waste Control, Inc.

Ross calling enforcement of the ordinance in a statement “arbitrary and capricious when many city facilities are not in compliance themselves.”

Mayor Bynum responded to that statement saying, “I can tell you that it is not arbitrary because I’m hearing about it from a lot of folks who have them.” Bynum said. “If we have ordinances in place, we enforce them.... We don’t have the luxury in the executive side of our government of deciding which ordinances we enforce and which we don’t.”

American Waste Control’s Paul Ross is asking people affected by the ordinance to contact the mayor and city council.

Ross plans to gather a group of business owners to attend city council meetings to voice their concerns.

Listen

news

weather

traffic

mobile apps

Everything you love about krmg.com and more! Tap on any of the buttons below to download our app.

amazon alexa

Enable our Skill today to listen live at home on your Alexa Devices!