Dallas City Council approves ordinance to help regulate donation boxes
DALLAS - Donation boxes with no attendant on duty are supposed to create an easy way for people to do something good.
But the city of Dallas says they often become a magnet for illegal dumping, so Dallas City Council members took action to prevent that.
Members unanimously approved a new ordinance that will regulate donation boxes and allow the city to remove the ones that become eyesores.
"It's a good idea to keep our city reasonably tidy," Lynn Haake said.
Like many people this time of year, Haake, a Lakewood resident, made a donation.
"It is the end of the year, trying to make room for new stuff and year-end tax deductions for the coming tax year," he added.
While Haake donated at a responsible site, he said he's seen another nearby that often overflows, with too much generosity.
"Other people will come through and dig through it and leave a mess," he said.
City of Dallas looks to regulate donation drop boxes
Images shown to Dallas City Council members illustrated that boxes intended to collect donations to do good instead are harming the neighborhoods they are there to help.
Dallas Councilman Chad West proposed the ordinance that will clean up the unsightly boxes.
"We've seen problem with donation boxes all over the city. There are great, responsible operators, but a lot of bad ones as well," West said.
Code compliance said that out of nearly 400 boxes in the city, 82 had violations.
The new ordinance will require a $248 annual fee, limits on how many boxes there can be on a given lot, and require a label with a 24-hour contact number for the owner.
"This is intended to bring everyone under the fold, properly regulate, and reward the good operators," West said.
The operators of donation boxes will have 90 days to come into compliance before the ordinance goes into effect.