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Portage looks to regulate collection boxes

PORTAGE, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - The Portage City Council is taking up the issue of collection boxes in the city.

You can't drive anywhere in West Michigan with out seeing those metal boxes asking for your donations of things like clothes and books.

Many of them are for profit companies looking to make some cash off of your old stuff and now the City of Portage is stepping in to regulate them.

There are more than two dozen of the boxes for various companies in the City of Portage right now. At Tuesday night's city council meeting the public will have a chance to sound off on a new ordinance to regulate them.

Some of those regulations will include spacing requirements so there aren't too many. The boxes will also have to be maintained properly and be made of metal.

The companies will have to purchase permits and get permission from the property owner to put them up.

They will also have to clearly display if they are a for profit company or not.

"We also want to make sure that or citizens or guests to our community know whether or not the company is a for profit company or a not for profit company, so that's part of the  regulation is to be transparent and expose the intentions of that organization to the people who want to put something in the box," said Mayor Strazdas.

There is a public comment session first Tuesday night and then the city council is expected to pass the ordinance.

We will keep you posted.