[StBernard] St. Bernard should crack down on high grass: Editorial

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard should crack down on high grass: Editorial
By Editorial page staff, The Times-Picayune 
October 13, 2009, 5:51AM
St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro warned that cracking down on
owners of overgrown yards could prove costly, and he succeeded in persuading
the Parish Council to table an ordinance that would have would put more
pressure on neglectful property owners.

But failing to correct this situation also carries a cost. Homeowners
complained about nearby lots that have weeds 10 feet tall. That's not only
unsightly, it's also unsafe. Uncut lots harbor rats and other vermin and
create a fire hazard. Allowing people to get away with such neglect is
unfair to property owners who do take care of their yards and who are
putting money and effort into rebuilding the hard-hit parish.

The Parish Council is looking for ways to step up enforcement of the law
that requires people to keep the grass cut. The ordinance called for
garnisheeing the wages of violators, cutting their utilities and posting
signs intended to embarrass the owners. The proposed wording for the signs:
"This property is managed by St. Bernard Parish Government due to
non-compliance by owner.''

Mr. Taffaro said that these measures come close to telling people that the
government will take care of their property if they fail to do so. Passing
the ordinance "doesn't mean that somebody's going to show up with a check,''
he said.

Indeed, absentee owners might not care if their water is shut off or if an
embarrassing sign is planted in their front yard. But they surely won't want
their wages garnisheed.
Mr. Taffaro said that St. Bernard Parish addressed more than 500 derelict
properties just last month. But even so, many properties remain overgrown.
Council members and residents say that fines and liens against violators are
being arbitrarily reduced or dismissed.

One homeowner association president said that the parish needs to notify
property owners of fines more quickly -- before they mount into the
thousands of dollars. If the parish is slow to notify violators and ends up
lowering or dismissing penalties, the deterrent effect is lost.

The administration needs to analyze its enforcement efforts and work with
the Parish Council to come up with solutions.