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Resident Jennifer Keller asks Jacksonville to abate long-running bamboo infestation, citing mosquito threat
Summary
Jennifer Keller, a Jacksonville resident, told the council she has repeatedly paid to remove bamboo that continues to encroach from a neighboring property, and asked the city to begin nuisance abatement because abandoned vehicles and standing water are producing mosquitoes that make her yard unusable.
Jennifer Keller, a resident of 712 13th Avenue, asked the Jacksonville City Council on a public-comment agenda item to initiate formal nuisance-abatement proceedings against the neighboring property at 703 13th Avenue, saying the property’s unmanaged bamboo, abandoned vehicles and standing water have created a persistent public-health problem.
Keller told the council she has lived in the neighborhood since 2004 and has twice paid privately to remove bamboo that continues to encroach onto her yard. She said the neighboring lot contains "multiple abandoned and unlicensed vehicles" that collect standing water and "the mosquito activity is so great that my grandchildren can no longer go out and play in my yard." Keller said tax records indicate the house belongs to the estate of Edward Cummings and his wife, both deceased, and that the current occupancy/ownership status is unclear.
The request asked the city to pursue the legal steps available under local ordinance and state law, including notice to responsible parties and, if they fail to comply, abatement with cost recovery. Keller provided photographs to council members as visual evidence and urged the city to act after "more than 15 years of unsuccessful attempts" at voluntary compliance.
City staff and council members asked procedural questions about how owner notice is served. A staff member described the department’s standard practice of sending investigative notices to the owner name and address on record with the revenue commissioner, and advised providing additional contact information when available. Chair acknowledged the complaint and said staff would "start the process and see what we can do to take care of it," and asked Keller to submit the photographs to city staff for the record.
Council members expressed sympathy and a desire to address the problem promptly; staff agreed to follow up and update Keller on next steps. The council did not take a formal vote to commence abatement during the meeting; staff indicated investigation and standard notice procedures will be the next steps.
Keller’s written remarks and the photographs she provided were accepted for the record, and a staff follow-up was promised; no timetable for abatement was set during the meeting.
