NORWICH – After Norwich Fire Chief Jan Papelino noted an influx of code violations in the city at Monday evening's joint committees meeting, The Evening Sun takes a look at some common code violations that city residents might not know they're breaching.

Branches, brush, leaves, and twigs on the roadside

It is a code violation in the City of Norwich to leave branches, brush, leaves, and twigs on the roadside except for during designated pick-up periods in the spring and fall.

Instead, residents must hire someone to remove it from their property, or wait until the two-week designated pick-up time in the spring and fall. During the designated pick-up times, the items must be packaged in a clear bag with branches no longer than six feet. Additionally, each bag should be able to be reasonably carried by a single person.

Designated pick-up times will be advertised in The Evening Sun and on the City of Norwich Code Enforcement website.

Papelino said the fire department used to have a role for an off-shift person to pick up such items, which might have contributed to residents' perceptions that these items would be removed. But now that the role is no longer, residents should not be leaving bags of brush on the roadside.

It is also a code violation to leave mattresses, couches, recliners, and TVs on the roadside. Papelino said residents should arrange for someone to be picking these items up instead of leaving them on the sidewalk.

Unregistered vehicles on property

After New York State amended a law pertaining to unregistered vehicles outside of garages on people's property, the city has had to follow suit, City Code Enforcement Officer Amy Donnison said.

It is now a code violation to have any unregistered vehicles on your property if they aren't housed in a garage.

Donnison said residents are permitted to possess unregistered vehicles if they are housed in a garage, but it is a code violation if the vehicle is stationed in a driveway, behind a house, or anywhere outside.

"The state made a change to the law which made us change our law," said Donnison. "We can't have an ordinance that's less restrictive that the state's."

Campers on city residents' property