City to enforce nuisance code

Last month, Siloam Springs’ Board of Directors approved an ordinance overhauling the city’s building maintenance and nuisance code. A press release from the city of Siloam Springs was issued to remind residents of the newly implemented code.

Chapter 66 of the City code, labeled “Nuisance,” will be enforceable Feb. 8, 2017.

“This chapter of the nuisance code needed to have some vagueness removed from it,” said Code Enforcement Manager James Harris. “By amending the code, we were able to give everyone, both officers and residents, a clear definition as to what is expected.”

The city’s press release said that staff would like to draw the public’s attention to the section regarding the storage of a boat, RV or trailer, and the appeal process which has changed.

Residents will no longer be able to store a boat, RV or trailer in their front yard. Residents can store one of the three in their driveway, but a second or third must be stored behind the home, in a back yard or off the premises. Doing so will remove clutter from yards and improve the overall aesthetics of the neighborhoods, the release said.

The cleaning up of homes will collectively improve property values in the long run by keeping properties clean and clutter free, according to the release. In addition to the new storage requirements for the boats, RVs and trailers, the code now has an appeal procedure. If a resident receives a violation and feels the Code Enforcement Officer is misinterpreting the code, they can now appeal to the Board of Adjustments. A formal system has been established in order to process code appeals.