Spring clean-up begins nuisances are considered

“One man’s trash - is another man’s treasure,” will not apply to the properties given the nuisance status in Kimball.

According to Mayor Keith Prunty, the City is once again revisiting and reinforcing nuisance ordnances, beginning in April.

“It will be enforced again and if anyone has concerns with time frame on abating, they need to contact the city office and we will work with them,” Prunty said. “It will probably begin in April, that we start dealing with these issues. We will try and tie into the ‘spring cleanup’ that we will be doing up and down the alleys.”

A nuisance property is defined as a property that does or could injure or endanger others in any possible way, according to the City’s code.

These dangers include health, safety, and even admission of offensive odors and can also include items that are deemed unsightly, such as property that is storing old non-running vehicles or other items considered by most to be trash.

“We want to make Kimball a good place to live basically,” Prunty said, “Be a responsible property owner. Be considerate of neighbors. Help out your neighbors, if they need help with their property.”

For those in the community aged 60 and older a service through the Aging Office of Western Nebraska may help.

The Kimball Handyman Project is a benefit based on the individual’s income and information for this service is available from Wendy Baker, at the City of Kimball office.

The City has the authority to fine no less than $25.00 for a violation, and not to exceed $500.00 for each violation. A new violation shall be deemed to have been committed every 24 hours of failure to comply with the provisions of this code.

Last summer, the City of Kimball sent out several letters asking residents to remove abandoned and junk vehicles from their properties, and began working on nuisance properties – those properties with excess garbage and and or an overgrowth of grass and weeds.

The ordinance states that in order for grass or weeds to be considered a nuisance it must grow to be more than 12 inches in height.

The responsibility of reporting these nuisances falls on the shoulders of our law enforcement officers, or City employees, but may also be reported by the public who have concerns about a property.

City of Kimball employee, Jim Shoup, is in charge of issuing the abatement letters, and the city may grant extensions according to individual circumstances.

When a report is received about a property owner with overgrown grass or weeds, they are contacted and must resolve the issue or City employees will mow at the owner’s expense.

The cost of the service was raised last year to be $100 per hour per employee, with a minimum one hour charge and a minimum of two employees.

The City also has the option to put a lien for the mowing or clean up against the said property or they may send an outstanding bill to a collection agency.

Some previous nuisance violations have been directed to the local court system and fines were given for the offenses with fees that can be charged on a daily basis until the issue(s) are resolved.

Mayor Prunty further wants to encourage the public to attend a redevelopment resource workshop in Scottsbluff, on Monday, Apr. 4, given by Daniel Bennett who is a member of the Panhandle Area Development District (PADD).

“There will be vendors, construction people, and consultants at this workshop. The workshop is opened to all who want to attend,” he said.

Prunty added that the City of Kimball will provide a map toward the end of March, for citizens of Kimball to mark any properties that they have concern with.

“This will at least be a start,” he explained.