Alderwoman Wants Clean City

CITY: Ordinance Gives Property Owners 10 Days To Comply

FARMINGTON — Farmington Alderwoman Patsy Pike has a mission: she wants people to maintain their yards and keep the city looking clean.

“I’m concerned about how the city looks,” Pike said.

She expressed her concerns at the Jan. 15 City Council meeting and asked what could be done about unsightly yards.

Public Works Director Dan Ledbetter informed the council that he and his staff just that day had left 22 tags notifying owners that they were not in compliance with city ordinances to maintain their properties.

On Friday, Ledbetter said that number was up to at least 50 tags and probably a lot more than that. He said his workers have left tags for inoperable vehicles, unsightliness and having no trash service.

Ledbetter said some of the tags are based on complaints coming in to City Hall or posted on the city website and other violations are noticed as his staff drives around town.

Pike said she understands there are times people are not able to clean up their yards but still would like for citizens to take pride in their city. She encouraged city council members and Farmington residents to call City Hall when they see unsightly yards or inoperable vehicles and report those to the public works department.

“Let’s look around and take care of our city,” Pike said. “The point is getting the situation taken care of.

Farmington has two ordinances that specify how citizens must maintain their properties in residential areas.

Ordinance 5.9 (F), approved in May 2001, states that vehicles parked in yards or driveways must be operable, licensed and insured. If not, then the vehicles cannot be stored longer than 10 days, unless a vehicle is behind a privacy fence or in a storage building.

Ordinance 5.9 (G), also approved May 2001, says that premises must be kept free from weeds, rank grass, garbage, rubbish or unsightly or unsanitary matter. This ordinance defines weeds as any brush, grass or vegetation that is higher than six inches and is not regularly cultivated.

Another city ordinance requires

residents to have domestic trash service set up with Waste Management.

Ledbetter said he first leaves a door hanger at someone’s house to tell them they are not in compliance with city ordinance.

The door hangers usually prompt a phone call to City Hall and the problem is handled.

If the door hanger doesn’t work, he leaves another note that looks like a ticket. Rarely has the city issued citations to someone for not taking care of the problem.

City ordinance gives property owners 10 days to comply with the notice.

“We’re pretty much in limbo during those 10 days,” Ledbetter said.

Pikes said she is not trying to get on a “high horse” but added, “If we love our city, we want it to look good.”