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Harris Township board reviews rewrite of grass-and-weeds ordinance, solicitor urges retaining maximum fine
Summary
Township staff presented a draft update to the grass-and-weeds ordinance proposing new definitions, a reduction in the maximum allowable grass height from 12 to 8 inches, and allowances for managed alternate planting areas; the township solicitor recommended keeping the $1,000 maximum fine while reducing potential jail time to 10 days, and staff will refine the draft for possible adoption in June.
Township staff presented a draft rewrite of the Harris Township grass-and-weeds ordinance (Section 46) at the May 13 board meeting, proposing modernized definitions, a new unlawful-growth section, clarified exceptions, and new provisions for managed alternate planting areas such as rain gardens and pollinator-friendly plantings.
The draft recommends lowering the allowable maximum grass-and-weed height from 12 inches to 8 inches and creating a process to allow managed alternative plantings that are maintained and documented. Staff also proposed reducing the maximum penalty from $1,000 and/or 90 days’ jail to a $250 fine and up to 10 days’ jail. The township solicitor, after a preliminary review, recommended keeping the $1,000 maximum fine but indicated the township could reduce jail exposure (to 10 days or another period the board prefers) to avoid excessive punishment for vegetation violations.
Board members discussed the balance between enforcing standards to protect neighbors and allowing naturalized areas or community rain gardens, highlighting risks such as tick habitat and the need to preserve a managed buffer so vegetation does not migrate onto neighboring properties. Several board members said the draft generally reflected contemporary approaches used in nearby municipalities and supported moving the rewrite forward, asking staff and the solicitor to refine the wording. Staff said it will continue work with the solicitor and return a final version for potential adoption at the June meeting.
No final vote on the ordinance draft was taken on May 13; the board provided direction and requested edits and clarifications for the next packet.
