City beautification starts at home with a clean curbside. That’s the message the Mayor’s Office is preaching to residents. The Director of Constituent Services, Corey Driscoll, said the city is asking
residents to follow the Guide to Key City Services: Only place yard debris out during the designated dates.
The Guide splits the city into quadrants, each has specific pick-up dates. On the Southeast side, for example, July’s scheduled pick-up was the 10th and 11th, meaning debris shouldn’t be curbside any earlier. But that hasn’t had any affect on certain residents.
“Either some people don’t read [the guide], and don’t know they are setting their yard waste out in violation of the city ordinance,” she said. “Or they don’t care.”
Calls, calls, calls
Some residents have started to complain. Driscoll fields, on average, 20 complaint calls
everyday.
“We’ve been getting a number calls from people [complaining about] setting yard
waste out early,” she said. “This is a quality of life issue.”
Currently, Driscoll is working with Code Enforcement to devise a “warning”
system for residents that place their debris curbside before the pick-up dates. The idea is to save people from being fined for a first-time offense.
As for right now, she added, “I think Codes is doing the best they can.”
Resolution could be seven numbers away.
Driscoll said the best way to combat the issue is to call. But warns that just because
the debris remains doesn’t mean the city hasn’t tried.
“You could call our office and ask to speak to me, and I would work with Codes,” she said. “There is also City Line. The only issue with City Line at this point is it’s not meant to follow up. We’re hoping that people will comply and that will be the follow-up because they will see the yard debris removed. But if people don’t comply because they don’t care, its hard for us to make them care enough to remove the waste.”
Driscoll noted there are certain repeat offenders that refuse to take steps to improve their property. Tracking down property owners and charging them is a long process. And, Driscoll adds, Code Enforcement has enough to handle nearly 1,600 vacant houses.
“Some people just don’t care about fines,” Driscoll said. “They owe $10,000 in taxes, they don’t care that we charge them $350 to mow their lawn. You can’t make people care.”
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