Clarkston council agrees on general cleanup push, stops short of targeted enforcement

Mayor opened discussion of new nuisance complaints reported since the July meeting and asked the council whether members had inspected the properties in question. Council members described one property as showing signs of improvement and another as still problematic.

The mayor said the town could send a general notice to residents via the water bill and social media asking citizens to tidy yards, and proposed reviving a town cleanup day with dumpsters available. "I'm not opposed to asking the town to help us out," the mayor said. The council favored a general outreach approach rather than naming individual properties for enforcement.

Council members repeatedly noted limits to enforcement. One councilmember read portions of the municipal nuisance ordinance and said the town’s nuisance-inspector authority appears to rest with the mayor under the code; another noted that pursuing misdemeanor charges or municipal cleanup and attaching costs to property tax is possible but costly. "We actually go in and clean it up ourselves and attach it to their property tax," the mayor said, describing a state law change that can allow that remedy, but also warning of the cost to the town and property owners.

Concern about fire risk informed the discussion. The mayor cited a recent Mill Creek grass-fire incident that destroyed homes as an example the council should consider when assessing tall grass and yard debris. "If you take that into consideration as you drive around town, we've got some places here that put all of us at risk," the mayor said.

Public comment supported a general cleanup approach and suggested partnering with local congregations to collect scrap metal and other items as part of a fundraiser so older residents can get help disposing of materials. Resident Russell Davis urged caution about targeted enforcement and said a fundraising/collection effort could make residents more willing to part with items. "I like the idea of the town cleanup," Davis said.

Council members repeatedly raised operational concerns: past town-provided dumpsters cost the town $4,000–$6,000 per event and were sometimes abused with construction debris and railroad ties, increasing disposal costs. Several members said the town should refine any outreach to list specific nuisances that are already defined in code so residents understand what to fix; others argued that if councilors find code provisions unclear, they should work to revise the ordinance.

Next steps the council agreed on: the mayor will draft a general letter for distribution with the water bill and for the town’s communications channels; the draft will be circulated to council members for edits and possible signatures. The council discussed bringing back a dumpster-based cleanup day if the town can budget for it and guard against repeated abuse. No individual property was singled out for immediate formal enforcement at the meeting.