Topeka leaders have new plan to get property owners to cut overgrown grass and weeds

Topeka’s city government is preparing to significantly change its approach for dealing with overgrown grass and weeds in local neighborhoods. For decades, the city has had property maintenance employees respond to complaints and find out if grass, weeds or other uncultivated vegetation is more than 12 inches tall. If it is, the city asks the property owner to cut the grass. If the owner doesn’t, the city has Shawnee County Jail inmate crews cut the grass, then bills the property owner. But the city is preparing to set up two separate programs aimed at improving on that, said city Councilwoman Karen Hiller. One will involve the city’s hiring a local company to mow lawns on a fixed-price basis for property owners who can’t do that personally but can afford to pay, she said. The other will involve volunteers signing up to mow lawns to aid property owners who are unable to mow those lawns and can’t afford to pay to have them mowed, Hiller said.
Source: CJonline