Wednesday, March 18, 2015, 12:00 am News Flash Archive

At yesterday's city council meeting, two new ordinances were adopted that set back progress in Greenwood and took away the liberty of its residents and property owners.

The Council voted to make it a crime, punishable by fine and/or imprisonment, to have a garbage can in the front of a building or home except on the day of garbage pickup.

Two citizens, myself and Greenwood attorney George Whitten, pleaded with the council not to create yet another new crime, especially one that hits hard against the elderly, disabled, and infirmed who are incapable of obeying the new requirement that the heavy garbage toters be moved back and forth on a weekly basis.

In an act of exceeding cruelty, the Council voted unanimously to ignore our warnings, and impose the new criminal penalties even on the disabled who are unable to comply.

The new ordinance may be viewed here: Garbage Ordinance Code Revision - Criminal Penalties

Note especially Section 10-7(a) which creates the new requirement, and Section 10-28, which imposes the criminal penalties, including imprisonment, on all who do not or cannot comply.

The Council also adopted a huge new Zoning Ordinance which places severe new restrictions on property development in Greenwood. In addition, new requirements will create major increases in the cost of construction. Property owners will be severely restricted in the ways they can utilize and build upon their property in the future.

Because the public was not notified in time that the Zoning Ordinance was to be on the agenda yesterday, no members of the public were permitted to speak against it. However, the Mayor did invite persons to speak in favor of it.

The new Zoning Ordinance may be viewed here: Greenwood Zoning Ordinance

Naturally, city officials all proclaimed that these two new Ordinance are "progress" and will help Greenwood grow.

John Pittman Hey
The Taxpayers Channel

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