A new Champaign law would charge landowners for leaving trash on their property during move-out week this year, but area landlords say students living in the city have no need to fear surprise fines being passed on to them.

The law, which unanimously passed a Council poll April 12, and will come up for a final vote sometime in the coming weeks, would give property owners 48 hours to clean up trash that is not in trash bins before a city crew would remove the mess and charge the owners for their time. A report prepared by City Clerk Steven Carter estimated that a typical clean-up job would cost a landlord about $400.

Apartment owners in Champaign are the most likely to be affected by the change, but most property owners were quick to say they supported the law and that they would have no problem avoiding charges.

Jill Guth, director of development for JSM Realty, said the company would not change any of its procedures for move-out week, but that it would be a good step towards keeping the rest of the city clean.

“Anytime you can improve the cleanliness of an area it’s a good thing for property owners,” Guth said. “JSM is not concerned with the new law because we already have a process in place so our dumpsters are taken care of. We have our own crews that take care of any other problems.”

Many realty companies have special procedures for move-in and move-out weeks. Chris Hamelberg, general manager and partner of the University Group, said his company doubles the number of times trash is picked up from their buildings, and Michael Jay, director of operations for Campus Property Management (CPM), said CPM would spend several thousand dollars on extra trash bins and trash pickups during move-out week.

Most importantly for students, all of the landlords said that any additional costs incurred during move-out week, even any possible fines, would not be passed along to their tenants. Hamelberg called the extra money “the cost of doing business,” and Margie Colter, property manager of Bankier Apartments, concurred.

“It’s just something we absorb as a turnover cost. And if there’s littered trash, there’s no way to really track it anyway, so there’s no way to know who did it,” Colter said.

Champaign City Councilwoman Kathy Ennen said most students should have no reason to worry, but advised caution.

“The fine isn’t that large, so it shouldn’t be passed along, but I don’t know how apartment owners are going to handle it,” Ennen said. “I’d tell students to keep an eye out. If you see trash lying out and know your apartment owner could get fined, make sure it (the fine) is not getting passed to you.”

While all the realty companies said they would have no problems with trash during clean-up week, several blamed other unnamed property owners for making the law necessary. Both Colter and Ennen said the majority of realty companies did a good job, but favored the change because of a select few lax owners. Hamelberg said a couple companies were making life harder for the rest.

“I know it’s a clich‚, but the reason this has been enacted is a few bad apples on campus spoiling the bunch,” Hamelberg said.

During the City Council’s Tuesday meeting, council members approved the final plans for the new fire station in Southwest Champaign and were presented with the proposed budget for the 2005-2006 fiscal year. The $85.3 million budget proposal projects increases in both general operating revenues and city growth, which had been shrinking before the spring of 2004. It provides for the addition of two new police officers and significant expenditures on the construction of the new fire station and public library.

The Council will vote on the final budget proposal at a later date.