BOARDMAN, YOUNGSTOWN Those with high grass need to make the cut

Both communities have issued warnings to property owners with high grass.
By ROGER G. SMITHand JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITERS
Boardman and Youngstown officials are cracking down on properties with high grass.
In Boardman this week, trustees declared 21 homes a public nuisance because of high grass. Officials say more citations are likely.
Darren Crivelli, Boardman zoning inspector, said most of the homes declared a nuisance are vacant. He said that in some cases, the homes are lost in foreclosure.
Crivelli said homes lost in foreclosure sometimes go uncut because the owner doesn't want to continue the maintenance and the lending agent doesn't want to go onto the property until the foreclosure is complete.
Housing inspectors
In Youngstown, housing inspectors are getting after people who don't cut their high grass, trying to trim the number of properties that city crews need to mow.
Mike Damiano, housing and demolition director, told council's general improvements committee Wednesday that he started sending inspectors out last week issuing warnings.
Both communities have issued warnings.
Boardman property owners have been given notices and officials are waiting to see if the grass is cut.
After seven days, Crivelli said, the township will hire private companies to cut the grass at each home. The township will pay the cost and add the bill to the taxes on each property to recoup the money. Crivelli said grass-cutting costs will depend on the size and condition of the yard.
Crivelli said the zoning department is investigating six more complaints concerning high grass in the township.
Neighbors sometimes get angry, but the township must follow the procedure.
"People often say, 'Why can't the township just cut it,' but we cannot arbitrarily go onto private property and make any type of improvements with taxpayers' dollars," he said. "It's frustrating for the residents and it's frustrating for us."
Ticket costs $160
Youngstown inspectors are warning people who live on the properties that they have three days to cut the grass. If they don't, Damiano said, he will send inspectors out with police officers to issue offenders citations to court.
He hopes people will choose to avoid the $160 ticket.
Residents need to understand there is no excuse for failing to cut their grass and leaving the job to the city, he said.
"The message has got to get out," Damiano said.
Youngstown's move addresses only yards of occupied homes with high grass.
The city has thousands more properties with high grass that are vacant or have abandoned homes on them.
The city has about 7,000 vacant lots, 80 percent to 90 percent of which aren't cut by the owners, said Joseph Mastropietro, street department superintendent.
Dividing up the work
The street department, starting Monday, will cut vacant lots, Mastropietro said. One crew will be dedicated to responding to resident complaints immediately.
The parks department is to cut lots with abandoned homes. Joseph McRae, parks and recreation director, isn't sure when that will start.
Finding the money and workers who can pass drug and criminal background checks is tough sometimes, he said. It's hard enough just cutting the grass in city parks, he said.
rgsmith@vindy.comjgoodwin@vindy.com