Mind Your Trash

We’ve had quite the kerfuffle on social media in recent weeks with the adoption of “new” standards for exterior property maintenance.  I put new in quotes because property maintenance standards have been on the books as long as I’ve lived in Harrison.  In fact there’s been some sort of rules in every place I’ve ever lived. Many of them are based on the ICC Standard Property Maintenance Code.  What’s “new” is how detailed this ordinance is.

The libertarian in me hates government meddling in people’s lives.  On the other hand I also hate that there are people with so little respect for themselves, their neighbors and their city that this is even a topic for discussion.  Nobody wants to live in a place where overflowing trash in front yards, couches on porches and neck-high weeds is the norm.

This could be the city acting like a nit-picky homeowner’s association.  Or it could just be that they’re giving some teeth to what was a vague and unenforceable law.  I believe it’s the latter, that this is just making it possible to go after the worst offenders, but if the city starts acting like an over-priced HOA then these changes have gotta go.  We’ll surely know which it is by the end of the summer.