Help keep O’Fallon clean
Spring is officially here and many of us are looking forward to the warmer weather and the ability to spend time outdoors, working in our yard landscaping and sprucing things up after a long hard winter.
It takes the hard work and community pride of every resident of O’Fallon to continue keeping our city a great place to live. It also takes this same spirit to be good neighbors. While O’Fallon has a reputation for being one of the best communities to live in the metro-east, and while most properties are well maintained, there are always exceptions.
The Code Enforcement section of the Community Development Department are the people who get called when an unsightly property is observed, such as ones with trash, high weeds and grass, or derelict cars in the open. These are usually referred to us by neighbors or they are noted by inspectors during their normal work throughout the city.
Unfortunately, some of the exceptions within the city can become problematic, residents should feel free to report unsightly properties, even those in foreclosure. There are procedures that we can take to get the property cleaned up.
One of the goals of the city is to head off these nuisances before they get too unsightly. If properties are observed with tall grass and weeds or with an accumulation of trash or rubbish, we will notify the owner/resident of the violation and give them a reasonable period of time to correct the matter. If violations are not corrected in the time allotted, citations may be issued for failure to comply with the Property Maintenance Code and nuisance laws of the city.
Keeping up one’s property in accordance with the city’s laws works best for everyone. Voluntary compliance means a better looking community that everyone can take pride in. Allowing weeds, high grass, and trash to accumulate on a property is a serious detraction from the neighborhood and the city. Being a good neighbor means taking pride in one’s own property, and maybe even helping one’s neighbors to do the same. If you see trash, high weeds and grass, or derelict cars, please call Code Enforcement at 618-624-4500, ext. 4.
You may also reach Code Enforcement through our website ofallon.org. Simply fill out the form and notify us of a problem area.
If we all work together to keep our properties well maintained, our neighborhoods will remain wonderful areas for the families who reside in our city. The strong working relationship between city hall and the residents we serve is yet another example of why O’Fallon is such a great community in which to live.
This story was originally published April 19, 2017 at 11:33 AM with the headline "Help keep O’Fallon clean."