67 Darien Residents Fined For Garbage Container Violations

DARIEN, IL — Darien was not kidding about going after violators of its ordinance banning residents from keeping their garbage containers in front of their houses.

On Monday, the city government provided Darien Patch with numbers about its enforcement efforts last year.

Last spring, the city canvassed a few areas of town, including the Hinswood subdivision. It said it identified 309 households in violation of the 2019 local law banning containers in front yards. That number makes up about 3.5 percent of the city's 8,900 households.

For violators, the city gave warnings through door hangers. After that, 211 of the houses, or two-thirds, came into compliance. Of the 98 who remained in violation after the warnings, 67 were issued citations, according to the city.

Nine of those citations were voided for reasons such as disability or the resident being out of town, City Administrator Bryon Vana said in an email.

The citations involve $25 fines. If every fine is paid, the city would receive $1,450.

As of Dec. 4, the city found 13 households in violation.

Under the city law, residents can keep their garbage containers in their back or side yards, but not in the front yards. On corner lots, residents cannot put their containers on street-facing side yards. Residents also can get enclosures for their containers.

At a City Council meeting in September, officials discussed the enforcement effort. And recently, Mayor Joseph Marchese explained why the city stepped up enforcement.

In response to previous stories about the issue, residents have expressed varying opinions.

A woman wrote on Facebook, "Way to threaten residents, Darien. There's no way in hell I'm buying a $250 garbage enclosure to hide my cans."

A man wrote in support of the city's effort on Darien Patch's website.

"Seriously, how on earth is this even a thing? Who doesn't pick up the garbage cans after the garbage is picked up? $25? Should be more like $250," the man said.