Before that broken plastic chair turns into a permanent fixture in the front lawn, Parking and Code Enforcement, or PACE, officers are ready to issue a citation.

For the past five years, PACE officer Jayson Smith has experienced these messy mornings firsthand.

“People should clean up after themselves without us having to tell them to,” he said. “It’d be nice. I shouldn’t have to remind them to pick up their trash.”

Kegs, bottles, cans or cups left in residential yards for more than eight hours following a litter violation notice posted on the property are license for a civil infraction fine up to $1,000.

If the notice is personally served, only two hours are allowed before a fine may be levied.

“It takes a little more to deal with a post than write a ticket,” he said. “It’s two pieces of paper and it takes more work than just writing a meter ticket.”

Following busy party weekends and tailgates, East Lansing’s downtown maintenance crew will sometimes be sent to clean up the Grand River Avenue retail area, including parking lots and ramps.

However, the city doesn’t typically address the student resident area.

“It’s the resident’s responsibility to keep the property orderly,” said Angela Mabin, public service administrator for the city of East Lansing.

Despite accumulated trash after Welcome Week festivities, street sweepers only come on a scheduled basis — so relying on city services to pick up after the previous night’s party isn’t an option.

For some members of the greek community, seeing piles of trash stinks.

Environmental biology junior Kristin Merony is president and founder of MSU’s branch of Greek Going Green Inc.

As the Big Ten’s first member of the national organization, Merony, an Alpha Omicron Pi sorority member, hopes to carry MSU’s greek community into greener pastures — starting with next year’s Welcome Week.

“One of the goals and standards of our organization is to get greek houses to recycle 90 percent of their trash from Welcome Week,” Merony said.

“Welcome Week generates probably five times more trash than any time during the school year.”

In its inaugural semester, Greek Going Green Inc. will pay special attention to how much trash is generated, as well as how much of it is recyclable.

Until party hosts clean up their act, Smith will continue to write citations, and see a few odd sights while he’s at it.

“One house, they always like to put stuff in the tree. Last year they put a couch in a tree,” Smith said. “And it’s not a very big tree, either.”