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Residents press council for stronger code enforcement on overgrown sidewalks, abandoned cars and street sweeping
Summary
During public comment multiple residents asked council to act on overgrown sidewalks, vehicles and trash on Waycross, Sharon and nearby streets and urged more consistent code enforcement and street-sweeper service.
Several Forest Park residents used the public-comment period on Aug. 4 to press the city for faster and more consistent code enforcement on neighborhood maintenance and public-right-of-way issues.
Rhonda Speakman (539 Waycross Road) described sidewalks on Sharon Road and nearby routes she walks each morning as overgrown with weeds and tree limbs, saying, "you could barely walk up the sidewalk" and that some elderly neighbors could not use the route because of vegetation and overhanging trees. Speakman asked who is responsible for cutting grass and trimming trees and urged city action.
She also reported several homes with long-standing driveway issues: vehicles that have sat for more than a year at 580–584 Waycross Road, and debris and appliances left in driveways at 617 Waycross Road. She said one driveway had what she described as "washing machines" and building debris left without a dumpster. Speakman said she had called the city in the past and asked for follow-up.
Another speaker, Sheila Williams (724 Carlsbad Road), described sanitation and safety concerns: people sleeping on neighborhood streets, trash and rodents, and incidents she said required police attention. Williams said she had documents and photos to support comments and said the conditions had forced her to take repeated action with city staff.
Mayor Brown and staff responded during the meeting. The mayor said the assistant city manager would talk with public works and inspect the locations. Assistant City Manager Andy Levandowski told council the city is conducting code enforcement work and outlined that the city must follow statutory processes after issuing warnings, allowing a period for property owners to remedy violations before further enforcement occurs. He asked the commenters to allow the city a few weeks and said the city manager would follow up.
Council members also urged residents to consider joining the city’s Quality of Life Commission to help shape local priorities. The record shows no formal council action was taken during the meeting; the council directed staff to inspect reported locations and to follow the city’s code-enforcement procedures.
Ending: Council asked staff to inspect the specific addresses reported and to report back; residents were encouraged to share documentation and to follow up with the city manager’s office.
