If City Councilman Rodney Geyen gets his way, municipal inspectors will be able to cross property lines in order to determine if residents’ yards should be considered nuisances.

Geyen is sponsoring a new law after complaints from citizens who have had to kill rodents and snakes that crept into their yards.

“That’s because of old cars and rubbish in some people’s yards,” Geyen explained during the City Council’s agenda meeting Tuesday. “I’d like to give city inspectors the authority to determine if a property is a nuisance to neighbors.”

Property standards issues have been foremost in Geyen’s mind lately. This legislative move follows his statements about abandoned homes that are boarded up for safety reasons but the owners are making no attempts to renovate them.

Being able to more closely inspect abandoned properties would provide city inspectors a chance to beef up their investigations against questionable property owners and possibly lead to the closings of underground businesses, Geyen concluded.

“There are mechanic businesses that are hidden. That’s illegal,” he said.

If Geyen’s measure is approved by the City Council, suspect property owners will not help themselves by denying inspectors access to their property.

City attorney Billy Loftin told the City Council that enforcement of a new law would be bolstered.

“If they (property owners) don’t allow inspection, then it should be determined they are in violation of city code,” they said.

Geyen is intent on getting property standards enforcement enhanced.

“I’ve gotten complaints of residents killing snakes that came from their neighbors’ yards,” he said.

The item may be voted on in February by the City Council.

(mgnonline.com)