Boone council adopts door-hanger notice for grass violations, requires 72-hour remedy

The Boone City Council on a 7–2 vote adopted a standardized door-hanger notice for property-maintenance violations and amended the notice to require that grass violations be remedied within 72 hours.

The measure, presented by Andrea (ICD administrator) as a draft template for Code Enforcement Officer use, gives the city authority to abate nuisances and assess the cost to the property after the notice is left on the door. Council members amended the final paragraph to read that the city may abate the nuisance and assess costs against the premises. Council also inserted a time-to-compliance requirement for grass: "grass violations must be resolved within 72 hours." The council moved and seconded the amended notice before taking the roll call vote.

Why it matters: the change formalizes how the city notifies residents of yard maintenance violations and responds when grass or other nuisances are not addressed. Residents and several council members said the form provides clarity and expedites enforcement; others and multiple public commenters said the approach feels punitive and urged more notification and outreach for residents who may not use online channels.

Council debate and public comment: The discussion included lengthy public comment, with several residents urging softer communications and clearer timelines. Resident Katie Schlocki said the city’s contractor mowed her yard at 7 p.m. on a Saturday without prior notice and urged a stamped date and a 72-hour window so homeowners could arrange help. Another commenter described using native or drought-tolerant plantings and said the ordinance as written can unfairly target sustainable landscaping and small, individualized lawn practices.

ICD staff explained the door-hanger is intended to supplement existing outreach (water-bill notices, city newsletter, eNotify, and social posts) and that Code Enforcement typically compiles lists early in the week for contractor mowing. The contractor’s usual fee for mowing after abatement was stated in the meeting as $45; a council member said a first-time fine is $90 and increases on repeat offenses. Council members asked that Code Enforcement digitally time-stamp the door-hanger and photograph the condition when it is placed as verification.

Outcome and next steps: The council adopted the door-hanger language with the 72-hour amendment and direction that Code Enforcement include a dated photo when placing the notice. Staff said they may finalize wording with the city attorney and print the hangers; the revised form will be used by the city’s contractor and Code Enforcement to document and enforce grass violations. No change to the underlying city ordinance was completed at this meeting; the door-hanger implements a notice procedure consistent with current ordinance enforcement.

Ending: Council members said staff will circulate the final version of the notice, and staff confirmed the contractor will receive the revised instructions. Several residents asked the city to continue outreach by water bill and eNotify to minimize surprise enforcement actions.