The Administration and Regulatory Affairs Department (ARA) recommends that the City Council approve an ordinance amending Chapter 28 of the City of Houston Code of Ordinances to create permitting and enforcement regulations for donation stations placed within the city limits and amending Building Code provisions of the City of Houston Construction Code to create an exception for donation stations.
In May 2021, City Council approved an ordinance creating regulations and permit requirements for organizations that operate donations boxes within the city limits. Operators were required to be permitted by the City by September 7, 2021.
As with any new regulation, operators of facilities that had not previously identified as “donation boxes” have emerged. These facilities meet the operational requirements of a “donation box” but do not conform to the size limits laid out in the ordinance. To capture these facilities and bring them into the regulatory framework, ARA recommends amending Chapter 28, Article XIX and the Building Code to create a new category of “donation box” for these larger facilities. The facilities will be permitted as “donation stations” with the following requirements:
· Shall be no larger than 1,360 cubic feet in volume;
· Shall be constructed of metal or steel;
· Shall be monitored 24 hours per day by a security camera system;
· Shall be equipped with exterior lighting fixtures to illuminate the area surrounding the donation station; and
· May not operated with a power source other than a storage battery, charged primarily with a solar panel.
The addition of a new permit type, “donation station,” is consistent with the original intent of the donation box regulations. In addition, operators of these facilities have no objections to the requirements or regulations.
Departmental Approval Authority:
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Tina Paez, Director Other Authorization
Administration & Regulatory
Affairs Department