When summer comes, we trade in our shovels and snowmobiles for lawnmowers. Without snow to cover up all our laziness, that’s also the time when the worst of the worst neighbourhood nuisances are aired out.
“Common nuisances are untidy yards and can encompass anything from overgrown weeds and grass to garbage lying around to vehicles in disrepair,” said Humboldt city clerk Sandra Pauli. “Some people will have a vehicle that maybe they’re working on and it’s not runnable and they’re fixing it. It will be sitting in a way that doesn’t look tidy or aesthetically pleasing.”
To curb these wayward neighbours’ ill-advised decors, the City will do checks on properties when there are complaints. If someone’s grass is too long and someone complains, for example, the City will come by and check it out. If it violates City regulations, a notice will be given to the person to fix the problem. If it isn’t fixed within 5-10 days (depending on how they post the notice), the City will send out people to have it done and then send the owner the bill.
Sometimes these matters are a result of safety concerns, such as dangerous scraps lying around. Other times, not so much.
“It can be (about safety) or sometimes it’s aesthetics, but sometimes we’ll have buildings that will get into a dilapidated state and can pose a health and safety risk for residents,” said Pauli. “Sometimes we have abandoned buildings that kids like to poke around in and break windows. We make sure it’s boarded up to keep everyone safe.”
An overgrown lawn, however, is most likely an aesthetic thing. With the City concerned about the annual Communities in Bloom competition and attracting more people to the community, it’s even more important to give the impression of a well-kept community.
“Just look around at our beautiful community. We’d like to keep it that way,” said Pauli. “Council made it a priority to have a beautiful community, so it’s something we want to enforce.”
It’s unsurprising. When newcomers come to a community they are thinking of settling down in, their opinions will be swayed depending on what they see. It will matter whether they’re looking at a street of dilapidated structures and broken windows, or one with manicured lawns and pretty houses.
