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Cities to crack down on nuisance violations
Codes help keep property values high
By Carrie Alexander
Holt Police Chief Mike Noland has decided that the time has come to clean the town — literally. And he plans to start enforcing code violations right away.
“It’s time we clean this town up,” Noland said. “If we really want to be a ‘city on the way up’ we need to send that message. The tall grass, the junk cars, all of it needs to go.”
Noland’s greatest concerns are keeping lawns mowed and free of garbage and old cars. He also wants residents to know that keeping ditches mowed is their responsibility.
Part of the reason that cities mandate that yards be regularly manicured is because tall grass is ideal breeding ground for vermin and insects.
Whether the residence is in Holt or Kearney, law enforcement officers say that keeping it up to code is about public health and safety.
For Kearney Assistant Police Chief Barney Hatfield, this issue is a reoccurring problem, and it is often the same individuals who violate codes. In one instance, Hatfield said a property was in such poor shape that the city had received several calls from concerned neighbors.
“We had to send a letter to a property owner that had grass higher than the mailbox,” Hatfield said. “Neighbors were complaining of seeing snakes and rats coming out from the tall grass.”
Hatfield also said that as of April, he has sent out letters about 20 cars parked in yards, 32 junk cars, 13 cars parked on sidewalks, nine properties with trash or junk in the yard and four letters concerning construction waste.
“All cars have to be parked on a hard surface in running order, and they have to be licensed,” Hatfield said. “You cannot park in the yard or right-of-way either. It’s also an issue of making property values go down. We want our city to be in good shape.”
The city of Kearney typically sends out a letter explaining the violation, gives the property owner time to comply, and if the individual doesn’t comply, the city sends a second letter. After that, violators are cited.
“Since 1997 we’ve only had to take five people to court,” Hatfield said. “In my year-end report we ended up having over 300 violations for the year. It can be costly for those who don’t comply. On yards that need mowed, we charge $100 an hour and a $25 administration fee. Those costs are then added to the property taxes and a lien against the property.”
Overall, both cities are just aiming to keep their towns in good condition and hope that property owners are willing to cooperate.
“We’re just trying to keep everything the best we can,” Hatfield said. “Last year alone we took 144 junk cars out of Kearney. Imagine if we didn’t stay on top of it how quickly things could head south.”
The ordinances In Kearney:
- Grass may not be any taller than 7 inches or basically a week’s worth of grass.
- Cars must be parked on hard surfaces and in licensed, running order.
- Cars cannot park in the yard or city right-of-way.
- Property owners must maintain rights-of-way and ditches and cannot let mud or grass clippings litter the street. To help with that, the city of Kearney has a compost pile that is a free service to Kearney residents.
- Broken-down cars cannot stay on property longer than seven days, and no wrecked or partially dismantled vehicles are permitted ever.
- Livestock is also prohibited within the city limits unless the property is zoned agricultural.
In Holt:
- Grass, weeds and other vegetation can not exceed 18 inches.
- Junk vehicles cannot be stored outdoors.
- Vehicles in the process of repair have 30 days to do so.
- Accumulation trash, junk, lumber or other abandoned materials is prohibited.
- Any condition that provides possible harborage for rodents, snakes, mosquitoes, flies or other vermin is prohibited.
Staff writer Carrie Alexander can be reached at 628-6010 or carriealexander@npgco.com.
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“It’s time we clean this town up,” Noland said. “If we really want to be a ‘city on the way up’ we need to send that message. The tall grass, the junk cars, all of it needs to go.”
Noland’s greatest concerns are keeping lawns mowed and free of garbage and old cars. He also wants residents to know that keeping ditches mowed is their responsibility.
Part of the reason that cities mandate that yards be regularly manicured is because tall grass is ideal breeding ground for vermin and insects.
Whether the residence is in Holt or Kearney, law enforcement officers say that keeping it up to code is about public health and safety.
For Kearney Assistant Police Chief Barney Hatfield, this issue is a reoccurring problem, and it is often the same individuals who violate codes. In one instance, Hatfield said a property was in such poor shape that the city had received several calls from concerned neighbors.
“We had to send a letter to a property owner that had grass higher than the mailbox,” Hatfield said. “Neighbors were complaining of seeing snakes and rats coming out from the tall grass.”
Hatfield also said that as of April, he has sent out letters about 20 cars parked in yards, 32 junk cars, 13 cars parked on sidewalks, nine properties with trash or junk in the yard and four letters concerning construction waste.
“All cars have to be parked on a hard surface in running order, and they have to be licensed,” Hatfield said. “You cannot park in the yard or right-of-way either. It’s also an issue of making property values go down. We want our city to be in good shape.”
The city of Kearney typically sends out a letter explaining the violation, gives the property owner time to comply, and if the individual doesn’t comply, the city sends a second letter. After that, violators are cited.
“Since 1997 we’ve only had to take five people to court,” Hatfield said. “In my year-end report we ended up having over 300 violations for the year. It can be costly for those who don’t comply. On yards that need mowed, we charge $100 an hour and a $25 administration fee. Those costs are then added to the property taxes and a lien against the property.”
Overall, both cities are just aiming to keep their towns in good condition and hope that property owners are willing to cooperate.
“We’re just trying to keep everything the best we can,” Hatfield said. “Last year alone we took 144 junk cars out of Kearney. Imagine if we didn’t stay on top of it how quickly things could head south.”
The ordinances In Kearney:
- Grass may not be any taller than 7 inches or basically a week’s worth of grass.
- Cars must be parked on hard surfaces and in licensed, running order.
- Cars cannot park in the yard or city right-of-way.
- Property owners must maintain rights-of-way and ditches and cannot let mud or grass clippings litter the street. To help with that, the city of Kearney has a compost pile that is a free service to Kearney residents.
- Broken-down cars cannot stay on property longer than seven days, and no wrecked or partially dismantled vehicles are permitted ever.
- Livestock is also prohibited within the city limits unless the property is zoned agricultural.
In Holt:
- Grass, weeds and other vegetation can not exceed 18 inches.
- Junk vehicles cannot be stored outdoors.
- Vehicles in the process of repair have 30 days to do so.
- Accumulation trash, junk, lumber or other abandoned materials is prohibited.
- Any condition that provides possible harborage for rodents, snakes, mosquitoes, flies or other vermin is prohibited.
Staff writer Carrie Alexander can be reached at 628-6010 or carriealexander@npgco.com.