Lawn maintenance ordinance fine-tuned

The Saukville Village Board last week repealed and recreated an ordinance governing the maintenance of lawns, landscaping and yards to make it more enforceable.

A number of typos or other errors were contained in the previous ordinance, officials said, making it difficult to enforce.

For instance, the previous ordinance said turf grass could not be higher than nine inches. The ordinance was amended to four inches, which was the original intent, officials said.

Owners of vacant lots also are required under the ordinance to not allow “the growth of weeds and nuisance vegetation so that seeds or other means of spreading to other properties are prevented,” the ordinance reads.

There had been recent complaints that grass and shrubbery in the village were not being properly maintained, officials said.

The village employs a weed commissioner who has the authority to give a seven-day notice of violation to property owners to correct the situation.

If the corrections aren’t made after seven days, the ordinance allows the village Public Works Department to take action and bill the owner.