Taking Recyclables from County Facilities Could Soon be a Crime

Although there was little debate regarding County Councilman John Grasso's (R-2nd District) legislation pertaining to recyclable materials, the first-term legislator won't know the bill's final fate until the council reconvenes on Feb. 7

The proposed bill (91-10) would make it illegal for county residents to take recyclables out of county recycling facilities for their own use. Additionally, the original bill would have deemed all recyclables as Anne Arundel County property once they were placed at the curb of a county resident's home.

The latter point didn't sit well with Councilman Jerry Walker (R-7th District) of Gambrills.

"It's not the county's property once it hits the curb," said Walker. "To me, that is creating more government regulation."

To address this concern, Walker proposed an amendment taking out parts of the legislation that called for curbside recyclables to be considered county property. Under the amendment, curbside recyclables would not be county property, according to Walker.

The amendment passed unanimously, but since it changed the original bill the legislation must be re-advertised to the public and cannot be voted on for passage until the council holds its next meeting.

Both the amendment and the overall bill were endorsed by the County Executive's office Tuesday, according to Alan Friedman, director of Government Relations, who attended the council's meeting.

The idea for the legislation stemmed from a discussion Grasso had with county employees who oversee recycling facilities.

"One day I talked to some employees who said that county residents would come in and take recyclables from the county facility and drive away with them," said Grasso, a Glen Burnie resident.

This lost revenue for the county is a sticking point for the councilman. Additionally, he said that officially making it illegal for residents to take county recyclables could prevent future lawsuits.

"Currently, there's no law on the books saying you can't come on county property and take recyclables," Grasso said. "So, if the police are called [because someone is taking recyclables from a county facility], and the person is arrested, then we have a lawsuit on our hands."

While the bill experienced a minor hiccup on Tuesday night, Walker's amendment could help solidify smooth passage of the bill during the council's next session.

The council will re-visit the matter at their next session Feb. 7.