Going to the goats?
I noticed a couple of veritable goat buffets on Bunts Rd. recently, and found it mildly disturbing that such a situation could exist on a heavily traveled and very visible street.
Last Friday, after seeing another goat buffet at 1623 Clarence Ave. (which looked the same way last summer), I decided to test out the new Report a Problem form located on the city’s Web site.
Lawns permitted to become overgrown are an invitation for trouble, especially if a house is vacant or abandoned. The robustness of a city’s response to this problem is one indicator of its quality of living standard.
On Tuesday, I received a message from Litter Control and High Grass Officer Mary Simon (e-mail: Mary.Simon@lakewoodoh.net phone: 216-529-7697) indicating the property owner had been cited. She re-inspected the yard and found that the grass had been cut. She was familiar with the house from her days as a code compliance specialist.
Simon’s activity is complaint driven. She receives complaints and follows-up on them. If she notices litter or tall grass while out on an inspection, she generates her own complaint.
Her first step is to identify the property owner and send a violation letter with a compliance date. She follows-up after one week and has the city cut any non-compliant lawn at the expense of the owner, who is billed a minimum of $100 via property tax bill.
It is good to know the situation at 1623 Clarence was resolved quickly. A better test of the city’s tall grass remediation process will be to see how efficiently it can deal with the 26 addresses I reported on Sunday following my trip up and down each street in Councilperson Mary Louise Madigan’s Fighting 4th Ward.
Houses displaying Steelers parafernalia should be fined extra
2101 Halstead
[Update: 5/27/2009, lawn mowed, no cause]
2121 Dowd
[Update: 5/27/2009, lawn mowed, no cause]
2110 Quail
2078 Robin
2034 Lark (Front lawn)
[Update: 5/27/2009, lawn mowed, no cause]
1528 West 117
1468 West 117
1569 Newman
[Update: 5/29/2009, lawn mowed, no cause]
1332 Fry
1348 Fry
1487 Hopkins (Front and back)
[Update: 5/27/2009, lawn mowed, no cause]
One south of 1351 Beach
[Update: Cited, reinspected 5/26/2009, ordered to be cut 5/27/2009]
1319/21 Beach
[Update: Cited, reinspected, ordered to be cut 5/28/2009]
1446 Ridgewood (Dead animal smell, too)
[Update: Cited 5/26/2009, reinspect 6/2/2009]
1483 Lakewood
[Update: 5/27/2009, lawn mowed, no cause]
1420 Lakewood
1347 Lakewood
1641 Cohassett
[Update: 5/28/2009, lawn mowed, no cause]
1531 Cohassett
1348 Thoreau
[Update: cited, reinspected 6/1/2009, complied]
1243 Donald
1304 Donald
[Update: 5/27/2009, lawn mowed, no cause]
13214 Merl
2085 Waterbury
12583/85 Clifton
One west of 12536 Clifton
[Update: Cited, reinspected 6/1/2009, complied]
Many of these houses are vacant, but it is pretty obvious from the sizable number of properties on this list that there needs to become a more hardcore enforcement of the law.
1. More communicatoin
Anytime a property owner receives a letter, the ward councilperson and each of the three at-large councilpeople should visit all of the houses in the immediate vicinity. They can talk with the neighbors, distribute a brochure containing the ordinance and contact phone number, and say, “Hey listen, that house was cited for excessively tall grass. We can not tolerate that kind of behavior in this neighborhood. Next time you see that grass go past six inches, please call us immediately.”
2. More fines and incentives
A minimum $100 fine is not enough to get the attention of absentee landlords. Create a tiered system of fines: $150 for the first infraction, $250 for the second infraction, $500 for the third infraction, etc.
Offer $50 to the first citizen who makes a complaint that results in a fine.
3. Faster action
Currently, the city gives property owners at least five days to trim their grass; although the ordinance says the city can act in as little as 48 hours after giving notice. If someone’s grass is eight inches high, it looks bad and is not acceptable. It needs to be gone as soon as possible. Five days is too long. 48 hours means business.
Here is the current ordinance:
1775.01 WEED OR TALL GRASS REMOVAL.
(a) The owner, occupant or person having the charge or management of any lot or parcel of land situated within the City, whether the same be improved or unimproved, vacant or occupied, within forty-eight hours written notice to do so, shall cut or destroy, or cause to be cut or destroyed, any noxious or poisonous weeds, including but not limited to Russian, Canadian or common thistle, all wild lettuce, wild mustard, wild parsley, ragweed, milkweed, chickweed, wild garlic, quack grass, dodders, wild carrot, common cockle, docks, chicory or tall grasses growing upon such lot or parcel of land, and prevent the same from blooming or going to seed, or exceeding a height of six inches, or spreading pollen which may be harmful to human health.
(b) If the owner, occupant or person having the charge or management of any lot or parcel of land does not cut or destroy, or cause to be cut or destroyed, noxious weeds or grasses as provided herein, the Director of Human Services or designee is authorized to cause to be cut or destroyed such noxious weeds or grasses.
(c) When any such noxious weeds or grasses are cut or destroyed by the City, as provided herein, then after such work is performed, the City shall give five days’ notice by regular mail to the owner, occupant or person having the charge or management of such lot or parcel of land, at his known address, to pay the cost of such cutting or destroying of noxious weeds or grasses, which notice shall be accompanied by a statement of the amount of cost incurred. If the same is not paid within thirty days after the mailing of the notice, such amount may be certified to the County Auditor for collection as other taxes and assessments are collected in accordance with Ohio R.C. 731.54, or the City may seek recovery of such costs by civil action against the property owner involved.
(d) When it is deemed necessary to cut and destroy weeds or grasses on private property, in accordance with the provisions of this section, the owner shall be charged at the rate of one hundred dollars ($100.00) per hour or portion thereof, or the actual cost of such work, whichever is the larger. The minimum charge therefore shall be one hundred dollars ($100.00).
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