City to force removal of 'junk' vehicles

It is spring cleaning time again and the City of Kimball is reminding residents to spruce up by taking care of junk vehicles.

To this end, the city will begin citing owners of junk vehicles on May 1. Junked motor vehicles, as defined by Chapter 98, Section 98.02 of Kimball Municipal Code, are any non-operational motor vehicles or those which do not have current license plates and tags.

These vehicles may be partially or fully dismantled, abandoned or wrecked, but they do not necessarily have to be in that state to be considered junk vehicles.

As the city ordinance reads, no one can park, store or leave a vehicle in inoperable condition or without proper licensing on any public or private property within city limits for more than 72 hours.

If a resident receives a notice regarding this policy and fails to comply, municipal code allows for the city to remove the vehicle from the property and place it in impound.

Any impounded vehicle will be returned to the owner when impound fees are paid, which includes an additional sum of not more than $10 and $5 daily for storage.

Owners of impounded property will be notified within 48 hours but after 10 days in impound the law allows the disposal of said property by sale or salvage, depending on the appraised value of the vehicle.

Citations for violation of this code include a monetary penalty of $100 for a first offense plus the costs of any actions taken by the city. A new violation can occur every 24 hours that the vehicle remains on the property and subsequent fines can be up to $500 plus costs.

However, Mayor Keith Prunty said the city does not want to fine anyone.

“What we really want to do is to give residents options,” Prunty said. “We are giving them about two months notice as well.”

For disposal, residents may choose to donate the vehicle to the local fire department for training purposes as a charitable contribution that donation would be tax deductible.

To exercise this option a resident must call Fire Chief Rick Wynne at 308-230-0617 and the department will remove the vehicle free of charge.

“We use those for jaws of life practice,” Wynne said.

Additionally, residents may choose to contact any salvage dealer, local or otherwise.

Local recycler Sam Gingerich, owner of Iron Man Recycling, said scrap metal is purchased per pound and while most salvage dealers will remove the vehicle, it is usually not free of charge. Gingerich can be reached at 308- 230-0245.

More information regarding this and other city codes can be found at http://www.kimballne.org. To voice concerns or questions, email [email protected] or call the city office at 308-235-3639.

Prunty said Kimball will also hold a city-wide clean-up in April, as it has done the last two years. Any junk that would not be placed in dumpsters can be left in the alley for pick-up.

Notices for that clean-up week, tentatively scheduled April 20 through May 1, will go out with city utility bills in advance of the clean-up week.