(Photo Source: Unsplash).
The village of Marathon is proposing a new local law that will enforce property owners to “clean up junk” in their front and back yards, according to village mayor Scott Chamberlin.
Chamberlin noted the proposed law would deal with old furniture, tires and more that property owners “don’t use and throw out” in their yards.
“It’s a law where we have a little more authority to enforce the provision to have property owners clean up junk that has accumulated around their houses and remove it,” he said. He noted the law will be “very specific” and detail “what people can and cannot have in their yards.”
Chamberlin mentioned the proposed law is based on what village board members have seen in the area, and “not many complaints” from village residents. The issue, he added, is coming from rental properties more than owner-occupied single-family homes.
“It’s basically (tenants) and landlords that don’t care,” Chamberlin said.
The proposed law is unrelated to the village’s car ordinance. According to Chamberlin, the ordinance gives the village the authority “to go around and cite” cars on residents’ properties that do not have up-to-date registration and license plates.
“It’s an ordinance to remove cars from people’s properties that are pretty much not used,” Chamberlin said.
The village’s Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing on the proposed law “sometime in May,” and look to adopt the law in the same month, Chamberlin noted.
At the village board’s April 6 meeting, Chamberlin mentioned the law will not be “prematurely enforced” until the law is passed.
“If there’s a health issue (with the junk), we can go through the (county) health department,” he said.
Further details and discussion surrounding the proposed law could take place at the village’s Board of Trustees meeting on April 20.
