By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Brent Cox went before the Great Bend City Council Monday night to address a concern with a city ordinance. Cox rents a house on 19th Street, and received a door-hanging pamphlet from the City of Great Bend on March 1 informing him of an overgrown vegetation violation. A city ordinance is in place stating any grass or weeds taller than nine inches is in violation.
Cox informed the council he could not afford a lawn mower or lawn service at this time.
"Something in these ordinances needs to change to help the people in our city," said Cox. "In our current state of the economy, we cannot afford to regularly pay for lawn services just because the city wants us to."
Cox took issue with city government enforcing demands on private property for the purpose of city beautification. Generally, municipalities have overgrown vegetation ordinances in place because an overgrown lawn is more susceptible to pests, small animals and presents an untidy look.
"This is a city council which believes that they are able to control on what can and cannot happen on private property," said Cox. "This is the same city council with the same rules that make taxpayers pay for maintenance on sidewalks, which is city property."
Great Bend city ordinances also state tall vegetation, when dry, can become more of a fire menace. Tall grass or weeds can harbor rats, reptiles or insects which may jeopardize public health.