Washington to step up grass code enforcement

Washington Municipal Code Enforcement Officer Elaine Jennings said the city would start leaving notices soon on houses with unkempt lawns, as the forecast clears up.

“Right now I have not put out any door hangars because of the rain,” Jennings said. “If it’s raining I’m not going to do it … It wouldn’t be fair to the people giving them 48 hours with rain for the next two days. So I’ve kind of held off. Next week, I’m probably going to hit it really hard because there’s not supposed to be any rain after Sunday.”

City code requires that grass and weeds not exceed eight inches. Houses in violation get 48 hours of notice. If it’s not cut by then, Jennings said the city would hire a contractor to mow the lawn and bill the households with an additional $50 administration fee.

“Different contractors charge different prices … they’re usually around $75 to $125, depending on how big the yard is and how high the grass is,” she said. “We give 30 days’ notice to pay the bill, and if it’s not paid by then, it goes onto your taxes.”

Jennings said the ordinance was important to the city for several reasons.

“When the grass gets higher, we’ve had problems with varmints getting into the grass,” she said. “Neighborhood appearance matters a lot. People want to live next door to somebody that keeps their yard looking nice, they don’t want to live next to somebody who has grass two feet high next door.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com