Public Works & General Operations Committee

Most notable during the Public Works & General Operations Committee meeting Tuesday afternoon were the issues Code Enforcement Officer Bob Deane brought to the committee. First, he mentioned the need for more specific language about keeping bushes trimmed in the vegetation ordinance. He said that if a lawn is in disrepair, the city will mow it. However, Deane is running into an issue where bushes are overgrowing city sidewalks and partially blocking alleyways because the property owners are not keeping them trimmed. He proposed to the committee to clarify the vegetation ordinance to include language about overgrown shrubbery.

Second, Deane brought up an issue with a property where the homeowner was parking in their yard, not in a driveway, so he gave them a notice. Since being given the notice, the property owner has dug out a dirt “parking space” in their yard to park in. Deane suggested to the committee to revise the language in this ordinance to define a parking space as a space that is either paved or covered with stone. He also mentioned another issue he ran into regarding someone who is using a stone covered space near their home as a driveway which he says does not comply with the ordinance’s definition of what a driveway should be.

Deane suggested adding clarifying language to the existing ordinance. He says that his intention is not to become too picky, but he does want to prevent “20 ft. shrubs from overgrowing a sidewalk.” Joe Gies suggested sending the changes to the law director for feedback and then bringing the legislation to City Council. Deane also mentioned four cases that did not comply with their notices that will be processed through the courts soon.

In terms of other topics discussed at the Public Works & General Operations Committee, Gies mentioned helping the Parks with the pickleball project at Seltzer Park and working on the Blackfork Commons project. He also mentioned that the City is looking at repairing the awning that fell off City Hall or possibly putting in brick instead. They will look at the other one and decide. Gies ended the committee meeting by giving an overview of the revisions to the subdivision ordinance language that the Engineer recommended.