By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The process of handling abatements has never been an easy task for the
City of the Great Bend, or any municipality for that matter. Telling a property
owner that they are in violation of city ordinances and are required to clean
up their lot can be a touchy subject.
If a property owner is in violation for trash and refuse in their yard, Great
Bend officials attempt to notify the owner verbally or in writing. If no movement
has been made by a certain deadline, a notice to abate the property is sent to
the owner containing the date the violation will be discussed by the Great Bend
City Council.
Code Enforcement’s Hoyt Kinsinger said their department makes the effort to
notify citizens.
"We take the letter itself, it will say unclaimed, and we scan it into the system and put it into the case file," said Kinsinger. "This shows we have a record that we attempted to try to contact these people. I've found that some people just don't want to pick them up."
Once a property is deemed to be in violation of city ordinance and the trash or
refuse is not cleaned up, the owner is sent a first-class mailing of the
resolution.
Kinsinger mentioned the city does place the resolution on the front door of the
property, the same resolution that will be discussed at the city council
meeting.