MITCHELL –Members of the Mitchell City Council voted during Monday’s meeting to increase the penalty for violating the city’s lawn maintenance ordinance, doubling the hourly labor rate should the city need to mow a resident’s lawn from $75 up to $150.
The vote was split 2-1 with only three of the five members present for the meeting. Perry Reynolds and council president Larry Caudell voted in favor of the increase. Voting in opposition was Vicky Schlegel.
The city’s lawn ordinance states residents must keep their grass trimmed to a maximum of eight inches in height in a non-wooded area. Should their grass grow beyond that mark, they’re subject to a fine of $25 per day for 10 days. After 10 days, the fee increases to $50 per day until a city worker can come and cut the grass, now at a rate of $150 per hour for labor.
Mitchell Mayor Nathan Jenkins explained the proposed increases in a previous meeting, saying that because of how low the previous rates were, the city had residents who opted to pay the city for the service instead of either completing it themselves or seeking someone else to do it, which took city workers away from completing other tasks.
