Council addresses nusiance weeds, storage of trash bins

The City Council unanimously approved an ordinance to amend sections 18-20(A) of city code regulating nuisances.

Approval came during its regular meeting Monday evening.

According to the report attached to this agenda item, the city code did not previously include any objective height at which weeds are considered to constitute a nuisance. With this amendment, that height is set at 10 inches.

Additionally, according to that report, the addition of Republic-issued trash bins has resulted in some debate about where the bins are to be placed when they aren’t street-side for pickup. The regulation, according to the report, specified when trash bins could be out by the street, but not where they needed to go outside of that window.

Alderman John Flynn suggested a further amendment to this ordinance at the meeting, which passed unanimously before the ordinance itself was passed, and focused on specifying where trash bins can be placed.

Residents in R1 zones, he said, should have the option to store garbage containers in a garage, any location screened from public view or behind the front plane of the house.