Notices are in: Clean your alley

By XAVIER ZARAGOZA
The Daily Dispatch
Published/Last Modified on Friday, April 4, 2008 3:05 PM MDT


If you’ve received a notice from the City of Douglas to clean up your alley, that means you’re in violation of the enforcement code.


The city has been enforcing its clean up codes throughout town. Homeowners have been notified and those who don’t comply will be cited.

Since early March, the City has been mailing the notices to Douglas residents that need to clean up their alleys and street right-of-ways.

As of Jan. 2008, the city has issued 35 citations, said Michael Moulinet, the city’s code enforcement officer.

Fines can range from $25 up to $1,000.

“The notices that we’ve sent asks that you not only clean up the alley from weeds, but also from other debris like old appliance, bed mattresses, furniture or car parts,”  Moulinet said. “The City will not pick up these items.”

If a homeowner has a fence that has graffiti on it, the homeowner is also responsible for its removal, Moulinet said.

“All it takes is about fifteen minutes a week to clean up the alley or right of way,” said Charles Ebner, the community Development Director for Douglas. “If you maintain the yard and alley, it won’t be such a big problem later.”

Cleaning up the alleys and yards now is the best way to avoid bigger problems later when the monsoon season rolls into Douglas.

With the wet weather, the weeds and grasses grow uncontrollably, thus making it harder to keep the yard clear of debris.

All trash must be placed in trash bags and into trash receptacles, Ebner said.

“Don’t just throw the trash bags on the ground,” Ebner said. “Make sure they are in cans and away from where dogs can get to them.”

For more information call the Community Development Department at 805-4047.

Copyright © 2012 Douglas Dispatch

Comments

    ??? wrote on Apr 11, 2008 1:45 AM:

    " If the property line ends before the alley, why is it the land owner's responsible to clean the alley which is city property. It is my understanding that when real estate is sold, it does not include alleys. Please provide explanation of this responsiblity levied to the home owners without authority. It's not that homeowners are lazy, it's that they already pay taxes to have the alley cleaned by the City. "

    Bruce Hale wrote on Apr 6, 2008 9:00 PM:

    " I find it funny that the City of Douglas 9as well as others) tell you that you MUST pay taxes on, and maintain the alleys and right of ways and yet you have NO priviledge to use them. It's like free rent and maintenance to the City of your property. It's double taxation, you get to pay for it but the City gets the use of it for free thus taking away from you. The idea of preoprty ownership is old fashined. Now it's just a phrase to make you feel good about giving the City your money for the "

    t wrote on Apr 6, 2008 1:50 PM:

    " It never ceases to amaze me that my alley can be clean right before trash pick up and then right afterwards there is trash everywhere. The trash guys often spill trash or whole bags out of the can and just leave it on the ground. Or it sometimes blows out of the truck. I keep my alleyway clean, the city can pick up the mess they drop too. And by the way, I consider the blue dots that the city painted on my wall to be graffiti/ criminal damage. They never got permission to paint on my wall! "

    geronimo wrote on Apr 5, 2008 11:30 PM:

    " The clean up of the alley's is a good idea and holding the owners responsible for thier area.
    I disagree with graffiti, area owners can not control that and the city should help out. "

    gh wrote on Apr 4, 2008 3:14 PM:

    " wow, never knew ppl in douglas were so lazy. kinda disgusting "

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