Q: How should I position my trash cart so the automated truck can pick it up?
A:
- Carts should be placed one foot from the curb or edge of the street.
- Please place your cart at least three feet from any tree, pole, fire hydrant, etc. and at least five feet away from any cars parked in the street so the automated arm can reach your cart.
- The arrows on the lid of the cart should face toward the street; the handle should face toward your house.
- Please do not lean anything against the cart.
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Q: What do I do if I have more trash than the new cart will hold?
A: On the rare occasion when the cart won’t hold all of your trash, you may utilize an additional trash can. Please remember to leave some space between the cart and your other trash can. If you routinely produce more waste than the cart holds, you will need to rent an additional cart for a small fee from Allied Waste. Each trash container will hold the equivalent of three normal trash cans. If you utilize the 95-gallon cart for trash and the 65-gallon cart for recycling, you will have a total available space of 160 gallons, which is greater than five average trash cans per week.
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Q: What can I do with large items that do not fit in my trash cart, such as furniture or appliances?
A: Any material that does not fit into the container is considered a “bulky item.” These will be collected on Fridays; please call Allied Waste in advance at (636) 947-5959 so they can dispatch the appropriate equipment and collection workers to handle the pickup.
Collection of major appliances with motors or refrigerants requires a special pickup and an additional fee. Please contact Allied to schedule a pickup for this type of item.
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Q: Can I place a bag outside or on top of my trash cart?
A: No. All trash must be containerized. No plastic bags are allowed outside of carts.
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Q: We have a casino, so why is the city feeling pinched by the economy?
A: While gaming taxes are the city's largest single source of revenue, the City Council has determined that the wisest use of these funds is to direct them primarily toward major capital projects, rather than essential operating expenses. At any time, the state legislature could change the laws that determine how gaming revenues are allocated, which could substantially reduce the amount our city receives. We also expect these revenues to fall due to the recession and the opening of the Lemay casino in March 2010.
Because of these factors, the Council feels that the fiscally prudent approach is to avoid becoming dependent on gaming revenues for the everyday operation of the city. Currently, gaming taxes are allocated to capital improvement (45%), regional infrastructure (17%), the city's General Fund (20%), residential waste collection (14%) and the Parks Fund (4%).
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Q: When I shop in Maryland Heights, does the sales tax revenue go straight to the city?
A: No. Retail sales in St. Louis County are subject to state sales tax (4.225%), a transportation sales tax (0.5%), a sales tax for Metrolink (0.25%), a children's mental health tax (0.25%), a public safety communications tax (0.1%), a Municipal Parks Commission tax (0.1%) and a local sales tax (1%) that is distributed among the 91 municipalities and St. Louis County. Some cities, designated point-of-sale or "A" cities, retain most of the sales tax revenues collected within their boundaries. These are cities that had local sales taxes before the countywide levy was enacted. Other cities, including Maryland Heights, are designated pool of "B" cities, sharing revenues with others in a pool on a per capita basis.
The only tax collected in Maryland Heights that goes directly to the city is a 0.5% (half-cent) parks and stormwater tax that is used specifically for parks and stormwater projects in the city. It is collected as a point-of-sale tax and is therefore dependent on retail sales within city limits.
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Q: What is the General Fund?
A: The General Fund is used to cover most day-to-day operational expenses, including personnel, police services, facility maintenance, communications and trash, yard waste and recycling pickup. The General Fund comes from a variety of revenue sources: various taxes (utility, sales, road and bridge, cigarette and gaming), business license fees, building permits; court fines and fees, grants and interest. The City of Maryland Heights is one of just a few municipalities in the region that does not collect property taxes from residents.
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Q: Why is my property tax bill so high?
A: The City of Maryland Heights does not levy a property tax. Property taxes are collected by other local and regional entities, including the State of Missouri, St. Louis County, Special School District, St. Louis Community College, the St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis County Library, MSD and school and fire protection districts.
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Q: Who can help me understand what is planned for a particular property or area?
A: You may visit the Department of Community Development at our office or call (314) 291-6550. A planner is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. The planner can also tell you if there have been any recent Plan amendments or projects that may affect the property or its surrounding area. |
Q: Who can tell me how the vacant land near my property can be used?
A: A staff member of the Planning Department may be consulted regarding the following development information:
- What the land is planned for regarding future use;
- If it is public property, such as a school site, parkland, city owned property or;
- If it is open space dedicated to, and owned by a Subdivision Homeowners Association for open space purposes.
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Q: Where can I get information about the planning and funding process for public improvements?
A: The Comprehensive Plan includes guidance about planned public facilities. However, the Capital Improvements Program (CIP) is the city’s five-year guidance document for implementing these improvements. For more information, please contact the Department of Public Works, (314) 291-6550.
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Q: Who is included in this program?
A: All residents of Maryland Heights would be included except for apartments with seven or more dwellings in a single building, property with septic tanks and those that do not connect to MSD lines.
If you have any other questions, please call the Maryland Heights Government Center at (314) 291-6550. |
Q: Where can I get a copy of the Comprehensive Plan?
A: You can use the Plan for reference purposes at city hall. The Plan (including copies of any amendments) is located on the Comprehensive Plan page of the city website. |
Q: How long are job applications retained?
A: Applications are retained for 6 months.
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Q: What types of containers are made of #6 plastics?
A: They generally tend to be styrofoam products, but some plastic cups and carry-out containers from restaurants and stores also fall into the #6 category. The only way to be sure is to check the item for the recycling logo with a number in the center. It's usually found on the bottom of items.
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Q: Do sticky labels have to be removed from water bottles and milk jugs?
A: No.
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Q: Do the plastic caps have to be removed from bottles, jugs and gabled cartons?
A: No.
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Q: Do paper labels have to be removed from cans?
A: No.
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Q: Do aseptic containers such as juice boxes need to be rinsed out?
A: No, but you might want to just to help keep your container clean.
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Q: Do pump sprayers have to be removed from spray bottles?
A: No.
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