News : Vinton Police remind property owners of lawn mowing responsibilities

Vinton Police remind property owners of lawn mowing responsibilities

"It's that time of year when the Police Department is getting calls about tall grass and weeds" Jeff Tilson, Vinton Police Chief said today.

"We want to make sure everyone knows the ordinances and what the expectations and requirements of property owners are" he added.

Vinton City Ordinances state "Any weeds or grass that is allowed to grow in excess of the heights stated below for the respective area:

(1) Eight (8) inches — Developed residential, commercial and industrial zoned areas.

2) Twelve (12) inches — Undeveloped residential, commercial and industrial zoned areas.

constitutes a nuisance, and shall be abated by the City as such.

Nuisance abatement consists of the property owner (not a tenant or resident) being sent an Order to Abate from the Police Department, usually giving them no more than 3 days from receipt of the order to do what is necessary to correct the problem.

If 3 days passes after the notice is received and the property owner hasn't mowed, or If a property owner has been served with an Order to Abate in previous years for the same property, no further notices will be sent, and the City will enter that property without further notice and mow it, and will bill the property owner for the labor and equipment used to do it, plus a $25 administrative fee. If that isn't paid, the costs will be assessed against the property taxes.

"We (the City) really don't want to be in the lawn mowing business, but we won't permit a property to become overgrown because the property owner isn't taking care of it themselves either" Tilson added. "We have a lot activities coming up this summer, such as Party in the Park, the Cruise, and Boomtown, and we're prepared to do what is necessary to show our community at it's best."

Information on nuisances and their abatement can be found on the City's website at www.vintoniowa.net