Property must be kept clean. Violations include junk piles, trash, appliances, etc. placed outside the residence, on porches, or in yards. Residents can request pickup of bulky items and place items at the curb no more than one day before your scheduled pick up.

The citation process for debris is:

• A courtesy notice will be sent once per calendar year allowing 7 days to bring the property into compliance.
• A second 7-day Notice of Violation will follow if not corrected.
• Tickets are issued every 7 days thereafter for $25, $50, and $100.
• The maximum fine is $250, which is a summons to Environmental Court if not corrected.
• Repeat offenses will continue in the process without having to be re-noticed in a calendar year if noticed previously in the same year.

Property owners are responsible for keeping grass cut and debris picked up. Property owners will be cited if 1) grass and/or weeds on properties with a house or other improvement (improved property) is taller than 12 inches, 2) grass and/or weeds on vacant lot is taller than 18 inches, provided the property has never been improved before and 3) their property is littered with falling trees or branches or if plantings and shrubs encroach over or into sidewalks and streets creating an impediment.

The citation process for grass and weeds is:

• A courtesy notice will be sent once per calendar year allowing 7 days to bring the property into compliance.
• A second 7-day Notice of Violation will follow if not corrected.
• Tickets are issued every 7 days thereafter for $25, $50, and $100.
• The maximum fine is $250, which is a summons to Environmental Court if not corrected.
• Repeat offenses will continue in the process without having to be re-noticed in a calendar year if noticed previously in the same year.

Vehicles parked on private property must be kept in operable condition and have current tags and registration. If you are storing, restoring, or doing major repairs to a vehicle, you must keep it enclosed in a building (like a garage). An inoperable/unregistered vehicle is one that is in wrecked, dismantled, or inoperable condition, or lacking current tags and registration.

If you have these or receive a notice for an inoperable/unregistered vehicle, please repair, register, or remove it from the property immediately, or it will be subject to fines up to $250 per day, each day is a separate offense. We can tow the vehicle but prefer to do so by request in lieu of fines. Although the City does not endorse any specific company or program, there are organizations that will pay you a salvage fee to haul your vehicle off your property.

The citation process for inoperable/unregistered vehicles is:

• An environmental inspector will provide a notice to the owner or tenant of record allowing 15 days to correct the violation.

• The owner of the vehicle or person at the property will be given an additional 10 days if not corrected at the follow-up inspection.
• A notice will be placed on the vehicle advising it is subject to tow or fines.
• If the vehicle has not been brought into compliance after these two attempts, the next step would be a summons to environmental court unless a good faith effort to remedy the violation has been discussed with the inspector beforehand.

Property owners or tenants who have been cited and have not corrected the violations in the allotted time may be summoned to Environmental Court, where they may face fines.

Fines/penalties can be up to $1,087.50 or imprisonment for up to 30 days.

If the City must abate the problem, owners will be billed, and a lien will be placed on the property if the bill is not paid.

Environmental Court is typically held on the third Wednesday of the month at 10 AM in the Municipal Courtroom, 120 East Black Street.