Did you know… that It is unlawful and declared a nuisance for any person owning, claiming, occupying or having supervision or control of any real property, occupied or unoccupied, within the corporate limits of the City, to permit or allow any stagnant or unwholesome water, sinks, refuse, filth, carrion, weeds, rubbish, brush and refuse, trash, debris, junk, garbage, impure or unwholesome matter of any kind, or objectionable or unsightly matter of whatever nature, to accumulate or remain upon any such real property or within any public easement on or across such real property or upon any adjacent public street or alley right-of-way between the property line of such real property and where the paved surface of the street or alley begins?

Did you also know… that It is unlawful and declared a nuisance for any person to dump, or permit to be dumped, upon or along any drain, gutter, alley, sidewalk, street, park, right-of-way or vacant lot into or adjacent to water, or any other public or private property within the corporate limits of the City, any unwholesome water, refuse, rubbish, trash, debris, filth, carrion, weeds, brush, junk, garbage, impure or unwholesome matter of any kind or other objectionable or unsightly matter of whatever kind?

And… any person violating or failing to comply with any provision or requirement of this Ordinance, who continues to violate or fail to comply with same after seven (7) days after notice is given shall also be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined in an amount not to exceed $2,000.00, such offenses being violations of the health and safety regulations of the City.

Since springtime is upon us, let’s all take some time to clean up our areas of responsibility and keep your grass mowed to a reasonable length. Let’s Keep Italy Clean! If you have any questions, please contact Italy Code Enforcement at (972) 483-6414.

Response to Scott Connor’s comment from Chief Diron Hill (4/25/13, 9:07am)

I would like to respond to Scott Conner’s comment on 4/24/2013 at 2:21pm, regarding the First Christian Church conditions.
I appreciate your concern for the conditions of the property and how it affects your neighborhood. I agree that the City of Italy needs to also be held to the same accountability as the citizens for the conditions of their property.
As far as the tall grass, brush and weeds, I was in that area at 1:30pm on that same day and there were two City of Italy public works employees mowing and clearing brush at the church.
As far as the condition of the building, your right, the City of Italy has a limited budget and various other major concerns, such as; street conditions, water lines, street signs, and drainage improvements that are priority.
I have a suggestion… maybe you can form a citizen volunteer group to remodel the building. There are companies such as Home Depot that would give a community grant for projects like that and might even provide volunteers from local stores to help. I think that preserving the city’s history in a respectable way is very important for the character of our city.
Our code enforcement officer, Shelbee Landon, is very proactive and has made great strides to improving the face of our city through her efforts.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me anytime at the Italy Police Department or call me at (972) 483-6414 ext. 203
Chief Diron Hill
Italy Police Department

Comment from Scott Connor (4/24/13, 2:21pm)

While we’re on the topic of keeping Italy clean, let’s discuss the former First Christian Church (which belongs to the City of Italy) and the condition that it is in. I live directly across the street from this property and continuously deal with overgrown grass and weeds. A condition I believe our city has held people accountable for and issued citations for in the past. Also, the back entrance and back porch have become water damaged due the disrepair of the roof and exterior of the church. This not only allows for unwanted pests and varmints to invade but also allows and invites vandalism in which myself and my neighbors have had to defend the property against. I know that funds are limited and that most citizens are in support of a walking trail (including myself) but I think this property is becoming a nuisance as well a public safety issue. I would hate to see someone get hurt playing near or around this building. I’m not sure how many citizens are aware that the building itself is the oldest standing church in the city. The stained glass windows that garner the outside of the main building have the names of many of our city’s founders and early pioneers. I think they deserve a little attention. The city should at least discuss repairing the roof and replacing the flashing. This shouldn’t have to be something a normal citizen such as myself should have to discuss at a council meeting. It should be an issue of general maintenance and management.
Thank you,
Scott Connor
BTW, I love Italy and would not consider living anywhere else.