Houston Code of Ordinances § 28-651 General requirements.
Sec. 28-651. - General requirements.
Each donation box in the city shall comply with the following requirements:
(1) Current contact information for the operator of the donation box shall always be displayed on a donation box.
(2) A valid decal shall be posted on the donation box and visible from the right-of-way at all times.
(3) Each donation box shall indicate, in clearly legible writing, the types of items accepted for donation, and that all donations must fit into and be placed within the donation box.
(4) No donation box shall be placed in the city's right-of-way.
(5) At least one parking space shall be provided for use of persons accessing the proposed donation box. The donation box shall not block any parking space required under this Code or any other law.
(6) A donation box shall only be located on a paved surface.
(7) A donation box shall not be placed less than 25 feet from the adjacent right-of-way.
(8) No donation box shall be permitted in a required landscape buffer or building setback, drainage easement, floodplain, driveway, utility easement or fire lane.
(9) No donation box shall be permitted in a visibility triangle described in section 42-161 of this Code.
(10) No donation box shall exceed 125 cubic feet in volume or have a footprint that exceeds 50 square feet, about the size of an average business waste receptacle.
(11) No more than one donation box shall be placed on a single property except that one additional donation box may be permitted on a property with more than 300 feet of road frontage. Where two donation boxes are placed on the same property, they shall be arranged side-by-side with no more than 12 inches of separation. For the purposes of this paragraph a shopping center, strip center, office park, or other similar commercial property operated with common access and shared parking or interconnected parking areas is considered a single property.
(12) No donation box shall constitute a hazard for drivers on nearby roadways.
(13) A donation box shall not impede traffic or pedestrian travel, nor materially impair any motor vehicle operation within a parking lot, driveway, or street.
(14) A donation box shall be made of metal or other material that will reduce the possibility of arson, degradation resulting from exposure to the elements, and vandalism.
(15) All donated materials shall fit into and be placed inside the donation box. The collection or storage of any materials outside the container is strictly prohibited.
(16) Each landowner and operator of a donation box shall be responsible for collecting the contents of the donation box to prevent overflow and littering as part of the service plan required under section 28-641(a)(4) of this Code. Each landowner and operator shall keep the real property within 25 feet of the donation box free of trash, debris, donations, clothes, furniture, and any other materials related to or resulting from operation of the donation box.
(17) Each operator shall at all times maintain commercial general liability insurance with coverage of not less than $1,000,000.00. The city shall be listed as an additional insured on any such policy.
(18) Each donation box shall comply with all applicable state and federal laws, including but not limited to section 17.922 of the Texas Business and Commerce Code.
(Ord. No. 2021-350, § 2, 5-5-2021)