Council discusses property mowing process and levee damage; staff to coordinate on enforcement and camera options

City staff explained the multi-step code-enforcement process the city follows before contracting to mow a property, and councilors discussed cameras and potential ordinances to address repeated damage to the levee and trails.

Josh, the city administrator, outlined the enforcement workflow: a city inspector performs a site visit, staff attempt in-person contact, the city sends a written notice with a compliance timeline, and only after those steps does the city authorize crews to perform mowing and bill the property owner. "We give them a specific timeline...and then if it has not [been corrected], usually, we give them even a couple more days after that, and then we send city crews," Josh said.

Josh described the city’s formula for calculating a mowing bill: supervisors’ wage doubled, multiplied by the number of workers and the hours required. He said that approach reflects using staff diverted from other city duties and can make the city’s billing appear higher than private mowing services.

Council members also discussed repeated damage to the levee and trails and whether to expand camera coverage. One council member said cameras at Trails Park would be the easiest starting point and suggested combining visible and less-visible systems. "If we’re gonna keep having people destroy the levee...we probably need to prioritize that and get some cameras out there to possibly catch who's doing it," a council member said. Staff agreed to coordinate with the police chief on camera feasibility and to explore drafting stiffer fines for levee damage.

No ordinance was adopted at the meeting; council asked staff to pursue options for camera placement, coordinate with law enforcement, and report back on potential enforcement and cost implications.