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Mayor, Aldermen Press for Quicker Enforcement on Overgrown Nuisance Properties

Board of Aldermen of the City of Mount Vernon, Missouri · July 28, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Code Enforcement Officer Trent Thompson reported building‑project timelines and explained the city’s abatement process. Mayor Jason Haymes and several aldermen urged faster enforcement, possible ordinances changes, and using tickets, abatement and liens to address overgrown commercial and vacant properties.

Code Enforcement Officer Trent Thompson presented the June building and zoning report and outlined timelines for a school addition and other local projects. Thompson said at the beginning of the mowing season two violation notices were sent to an abandoned commercial building; if notices do not produce compliance a police officer can write a ticket, which would then proceed to court and potentially result in abatement and a lien.

Mayor Jason Haymes expressed frustration about tall grass and weeds around the city and said the city should issue tickets and prosecute when property owners fail to abate. The minutes record that Mayor Haymes felt 10 days notice was too long and that he wanted tickets issued and prosecution pursued promptly. Alderman David Eden suggested reducing the allowed cure period from 10 days to four days; City Attorney Toni Hendricks said restitution can be charged to reimburse the city for abatement costs.

Thompson said he will document violations, seek quotes for mowing/abatement, and work with property owners; he also noted MoDOT’s mowing priorities for state right‑of‑way areas.

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