Unattended drop boxes are an eyesore in parts of the city. Dallas wants to set new rules for them, but that could hurt the charities that use them.
Karen Donnelly represents Arms of Hope, a Christian nonprofit organization that has donation drop boxes throughout Dallas. The donations from the boxes are used to support the organization’s work of providing shelter, necessities and education to children and single mothers in need.
However, the city says unattended donation drop boxes are contributing to unsightly neighborhood messes and illegal dumping. Prohibited items are sometimes left at them, operators fail to service them and it can be difficult to track down owners to deal with concerns. These are some of the reasons Dallas may soon regulate drop boxes.
The purpose of an unattended drop box registration program is to eliminate nuisance and blight in neighborhoods; establish operator accountability; regulate boxes using time, placement and manner restrictions; prevent placement on residential lots and address public safety concerns associated with the drop boxes.
Williams said city staff surveyed other cities, such as Houston, San Antonio, Arlington and Frisco, to compare how they handle unattended drop boxes. All the cities had ordinances to regulate the drop boxes; many charge an annual fee for the drop boxes, ranging from $48 to $220. Frisco was the outlier and doesn’t charge an annual fee.
They would not be allowed to exceed 112 cubic feet or to be placed on residential lots. Additionally, the city wants to require scheduled weekly monitoring and pick-up services for items collected, and the removal of litter within 25 feet of the boxes. Permits for the boxes could be revoked after an owner receives one or more citations in a 12-month period.
Dallas City Council member Chad West said some of his constituents had brought the issue to him. He’s also concerned about how unattended boxes are defined. Robertson said the ordinance would include a definition of unattended drop boxes so this isn’t an issue. The recommended ordinance suggests allowing two boxes per site, but West said he’d like to see that reduced to one box per site.
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