Lewisburg staff to compare tall‑grass code options; council delays ordinance change until review

The Lewisburg mayor and council asked city staff to gather and compare alternative property‑maintenance models — including the city’s draft amendments to Title 13 (tall grass and vacant lots), MTAS guidance and the International Property Maintenance Code — before placing any ordinance changes on the regular meeting agenda.

Chris Rush, a city staffer, presented two draft versions that differ mainly on fine amounts and described a recommended reduction in notice time from 10 business days to 7 calendar days and lowering the tall‑grass threshold from 12 to 8 inches in the draft. Rush said staff prefer Draft B for the violation amounts but recommended staff review the broader international code options to address interior and exterior maintenance comprehensively and to reduce public‑works liability. “We basically with this draft, we bring it down from 10 days, just a 7 day notice,” Rush said.

Why it matters: Councilmembers and staff said repeat violators have been the primary enforcement burden; the current process — repeated notices followed by citations — provides limited deterrence and consumes staff resources. City attorney and staff discussed liability when public works crews perform abatements and raised the option of contracting third parties to perform abatement work to reduce municipal exposure.

Key points from discussion: Staff described options including (1) updating the existing Lewisburg municipal code to the staff’s preferred draft, (2) adopting the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) as other nearby cities have done, or (3) blending local provisions with MTAS model language. Staff noted Pulaski and Columbia as local examples; Pulaski’s approach allows administrative enforcement and liens for unpaid abatement costs, which can be more efficient than issuing citations that go straight to court.

Repeat violations: Councilmembers asked for stronger remedies. Rush and the city attorney said the council can adopt graduated penalties, liens, or administrative remedies for habitual violators; they suggested options such as escalating fines for repeated citations and placing abatement costs as liens on property tax bills if owners do not pay.

Next steps: Staff will circulate the International Property Maintenance Code and the MTAS model, annotate differences against Lewisburg’s current ordinance, and return recommendations to the council at a future work session; the council did not place the change on the immediate (Tuesday) agenda and directed staff to prepare comparative materials.