Kent Health Department responds to 79 waste violations in six weeks
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KENT, Ohio — Tyler Vig, sophomore Electronic Media Production major, doesn’t live on East College Avenue, but he walks down the avenue on his way to campus occasionally. When Vig walks down East College Avenue he notices beer cans, beer bottles and broken glass on the sidewalk.
“It makes me sad to see that there’s still division between the part of Kent that is being reinvented. Just a few steps outside of it on College Street you see so much trash. It’s disgusting,” Vig said.
Vig isn’t the only student to notice the trash on College Street. Keely Drabick, a third year Visual Communication Design major, notice litter on East College Ave while walking to her classes. Drabick says most of the litter is broken glass that seems to collect most on Thursday nights, Friday nights and Saturday nights.
“I don’t really know what they can do about that because people do it every weekend,” said Emily Fashempour, a freshman nursing major. “[Kent] is kind of my home, so it’s like you’re trashing my home.”
Even a recent Kent State graduate who does not want his name to be disclosed says he has noticed after party litter on East College Ave on his way to campus. He said people should clean up once their parties are over and it is their responsibility to clean up the litter.
“There is nothing against having a good time just basically clean up after the fun is over. How hard is it to have stuff not laying around on the street? The city can only do so much. They pick up the trash, and I am assuming it is they who clean up the stuff of off the roads and sidewalks,” he said.
Some local residents are upset with the multitude of trash and have submitted trash complaints to the Kent Health Department. Kent Public Health Sanitarian Kyle Kelly said the Kent Health Department has responded to 79 solid waste violations between July 23 and Sept. 4. Kelly said East College Avenue, South Lincoln Street and University Drive have the most frequent trash violations in Kent.
“In the event of a violation, the Health Department notifies the tenant/owner/operator of the violation and allows 48 hours to correct the violation. If the violation is not corrected in 48 hours, the owner may be fined. Properties with repeat violations also run the risk of receiving increased fines,” Kelly said.
According to the Codified Ordinances of the City of Kent, Ohio, a first time trash violation may result in a $50 fine, a second time violation may result in a $150 fine and a third or additional violation may result in a $250 fine.
The ordinance also defined littering as “garbage, trash, waste, rubbish, ashes, cans, bottles, wire, paper, cartons, boxes, automobile parts, furniture, glass or anything else of an unsightly or unsanitary nature, thrown, dropped, discarded, placed or deposited by a person on public property, on private property not owned by him/her, or in or on waters of the State.” Students should also be aware that littering is illegal and is a 3rd degree misdemeanor.
While some students may say a $250 fine and possible 3rd degree misdemeanor charge is too strict, Vig says the city should increase the implementation of litter laws, and people who litter should reflection on their actions.
“Every now and then I will pick a couple of cans up and just throw them away when I walk into Franklin Hall. I don’t know if it is necessary my position to do that. It needs to be internal,” Vig said. “They [the people who litter] need to realize they are making such a big mess. They have a really nice area, very close to campus, and I think they should take it upon themselves to be a part of the initiative to change it and clean it up.”
Freshman fashion design major Jaanai Jones agrees. “Make up some organizations or just have groups of people scheduled around and take little trips to clean up around the city,” he said.
