New Legislation Introduced to Fine Restaurants that Don’t Clean Leaky Garbage

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For city restaurants, those ubiquitous trash tributaries feeding the rivers of curbside sludge might soon become a violation. That’s right. If City Council has its way, those establishment that don’t clean liquid waste (e.g. grease, cooking oil) outside their premises will be fined. The end-game here is really to curb the ever-growing rat populations that feed on the garbage.

The legislation (Introduction No. 377) was introduced by Councilmember Margaret Chin, and carries penalties of $100-500 for the first offense, $500-600 for the second offense within any one-year period and $700-900 for the third or subsequent offense within any one-year period.

“Restaurant owners should be doing their due diligence in keeping the sidewalk clear of these messy liquids, because they will be doing themselves a service by helping to keep the establishment free of rats, while also helping to keep rats out of the surrounding residential neighborhoods,” said Chin. “Given those benefits, this is certainly a simple and reasonable requirement for our restaurants, and not something that places an undue burden on their owners.”

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Doyers St.