City begins fining residents who don’t follow trash collection rules or pick up dog poop in public area

City officials have a warning for those who violate dog pooper scooper and trash collection laws: expect to pay a fine.

Illegally dumped trash in a Cuenca neighborhood.

Andrea Arteaga, manager of Cuenca public utility company EMAC says it’s time to get tough on people who routinely ignore the law. “These household garbage rules have been on the books for several years and the same is true for those about cleaning up after your pets,” she says. “No one can say they don’t know what they should do,” she added.

According to Arteaga, newly formed environmental patrols began scouting city neighborhoods last week and have already issued hundreds of citations to violators, ranging from $4o to $120.

The patrols, consisting of municipal police, or citizen guards, are checking to see that household garbage is separated from recyclable waste and is put out on the street on assigned collection days. Fines are also issued to home owners and tenants who do not have or use the pull-down trash grills that are required by city ordinance. In the case of apartment buildings, the management or homeowners associations will be liable for violation.

Patrols are also watching for dog owners who do not clean up after pets in public areas.

Arteaga said the patrol does not need to catch violators in the act. “The citations will be taped to the door,” she said.