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Wilkes-Barre mayor says letters will go to owners to remove graffiti; city to repurpose park fencing
Summary
Mayor George Brown told council that the city will issue letters to property and business owners to remove graffiti or face fines; officials said fencing removed at Mayflower will be reused and Hubert Park concession stand work is proceeding as equipment becomes available.
Mayor George Brown said the city will begin sending letters to property and business owners requiring the removal of graffiti, and warned owners could face fines or have the city remove the graffiti and bill them for the work.
Brown told the Wilkes-Barre City Council on March 27 that “if it's a business or a building owner has to move it, those letters are gonna be going out shortly,” adding that owners who fail to comply could face fines or have the city remove the graffiti and request payment. The statement came during council presentations and later in public comment when residents asked about fences and park use.
The issue came up during council members' updates and again in public comment after a resident asked why fences were removed at the Mayflower site. A city staff speaker identified as Stan said the fence removal was part of repurposing materials and to remove an “attractive nuisance” at a vandalized concession stand. Stan explained the city plans to open the emptied area as green space, preserve a few monuments and “fix it up like we've done across the city with, you know, a little nicer look.”
Council members said enforcement will be handled through the city's code-enforcement process. Brown said staff instructed the health department and code enforcement to begin sending notices; he also said the city has a process to remove graffiti and recover costs from owners when appropriate.
Public commenter John Toski asked specifically why the Mayflower fences were removed, noting that some residents had used the space informally. City staff replied that the city will reuse some fencing at the bog and that the concession stand area had been repeatedly vandalized, making removal necessary for liability reasons.
The council did not take a formal vote on a new ordinance at the meeting; officials described current practice and enforcement actions as the next steps.
The matter of park reuse and graffiti removal is expected to proceed through existing code-enforcement channels; officials said notices will be mailed soon and that staff will follow up with enforcement or cost recovery as allowed.
