Behind the parapet of the Caveman Bridge on Riverside Inn property, 9-13-14
We have long had a problem with law enforcement in our city and
county, long before the federal government stopped subsidizing our county with
timber cutting and grants. Petty theft was rampant long before we had to
start releasing inmates from our jail.
One reason is the disorder that the city has tolerated for decades. Disorderly criminals know that they can do
what they wish on a neglected property, because no one cares about it. They build their disorderly habitat by
littering, and target disorderly places for camping, vandalism, and theft.
We recently had a public safety performance audit. The auditor made a point that the city must
enforce its property maintenance codes; that enforcement by complaint is not
enforcement, does not work, and is unfair to citizens who hire police to
enforce laws; and police and firemen should notice and report violations as
they go about their work.
City police seem to think that they need special permission from
the Council to enforce laws that are already on our books. Our City Charter mandates that the City
Manager enforce all city codes. Police
have all the authority that they need from the Council and citizens; they don’t
have the authority to ignore our codes and our Charter.
Our property maintenance codes are among our nuisance codes and
development codes. The nuisance code
provides for abatement when the City Manager determines that a nuisance
exists. It doesn’t have to be considered
a safety hazard any more, as it was recently changed by the Council. The admin fee for abatement was also raised
to 20%.
This should be sufficient signal from the Council that they want
the codes fully enforced. But the city
apparently still cites and abates only when a nuisance is determined to be a
safety hazard, and still doesn’t bother to warn
property owners or residents before officers consider it worth abating, even
telling the offenders that there is no violation when violation is obvious and
has been complained about. They don’t
appear to cite and abate any businesses or vacant lots, but only residential
properties and smaller lots near residences.
The city should warn people when they are in violation of our code
while it is easy to clean up, and stop hazards from developing. They should start with litter, a word not
mentioned in the code, but which is obviously included in it. If the city would stop tolerating trash on
the ground and warn us to clean it up, it would be cleaned up within a week, or
a month for those who insist in being cited.
Special January protest
issue, at GPlittercleaner.blogspot.com
and at the Mail Center, 305 NE 6th
Pass this
leaflet to the City Grants Pass, or call.
Write a letter to really impress them.
Rycke Brown, Natural Gardener 541-955-9040 rycke@gardener.com
Grants
Pass Property Nuisance Codes:
5.12.050 Weed, Grass, Snow and Ice
Removal.
1.
No owner or person in charge of property, improved or unimproved, abutting on a
public sidewalk or right of way adjacent to a public sidewalk may permit:
A. Snow to remain on
the sidewalk for a period longer than the first two hours of daylight after the
snow has fallen.
B. Ice to cover or
remain on the sidewalk, after the first two hours of daylight after the ice has
formed. Such person shall remove ice accumulating on the sidewalk or cover the
ice with sand, ashes, or other suitable material to assure safe travel. (Ord.
2901 §9, 1960)
C. Weeds or grass from growing or remaining on the sidewalk for a period
longer than two weeks or consisting of a length greater than 6 inches.
2.
Property owners and persons in charge of property, improved or unimproved,
abutting on right of way adjacent to a public sidewalk shall be responsible for
the maintenance of said right of way, including but not limited to: keeping it free from weeds; watering and
caring for any plants and trees planted herein; maintaining any groundcover
placed by the City; maintaining any groundcover as required by other sections of the Municipal Code or the
Grants Pass Development Code. (Ord. 5380 § 18, 2006)
5.12.060 Weeds and Noxious Growth.
No
owner or person in charge of property may permit weeds or other noxious vegetation to grow upon his property. It is
the duty of an owner or person in charge of property to cut down or to destroy
weeds or other noxious vegetation from becoming
unsightly, or from becoming a fire hazard, or from maturing or going to seed. (Ord. 2901 §10, 1960)
5.12.070 Scattering Rubbish.
No
person may throw, dump, or deposit upon public or private property, and no person may keep on private property,
any injurious or offensive substance or any
kind of rubbish, (including but not limited to garbage, trash, waste, refuse,
and junk), appliances, motor vehicles or parts thereof, building materials,
machinery, or any other substance which would mar the appearance, create a stench, or detract from the cleanliness or safety of such property, or would
be likely to injure any animal, vehicle, or person traveling upon any public
way. (Ord. 2901 §11, 1960; Ord. 4397 §1, 1981) (Ord. 5379 § 18, 2006)
