Published: July 01, 2008 05:07 pm      

Cleaning up Mercer County — New ordinance takes aim at trash

Homeowners with unwanted trash and junk littering their property are being served notice in Mercer County.

A new ordinance currently being drafted by the Mercer County Commission targets those homeowners with yards filled with unwanted trash and litter. According to the proposed ordinance, if the property owners won’t clean up their yards, a county litter control officer will be empowered to get the job done. The property owner in return could face fines and even a possible jail sentence.

Inspired by the Bluestone Convention & Visitors Center’s “Make Mercer Shine” program, the county ordinance will bring rules regarding junk and litter on private property, neglected properties, and similar issues in the West Virginia State Code into one local set of rules, according to Lyle Huntington, who is coordinating the effort for the commission.

Huntington said the ordinance will tackle not only unwanted litter and junk, but abandoned cars and other such eyesores.

While there are already state laws outlining how counties can deal with trash and junk on occupied property, the laws are spread out, according to Huntington. Huntington said there are more than 30 books of state code, but the necessary regulations fall into widely different sections.

As a result, Huntington is working with Prosecuting Attorney Timm Boggess to develop an ordinance that “puts it all onto one piece of paper.” Cooperation is considered a key component of the proposed ordinance. That’s because property owners will have the opportunity first to address trash and junk problems themselves before action is taken.

As currently proposed, a litter control officer would go on the property and notify the property owner of the violation. The litter control officer would then give the property owner a five-day notice to clean up the violation.

If nothing is cleaned up by the deadline, a daily fine would then go into effect, building with every day of noncompliance. If the fine is not paid, prosecution can go forth and the person can face a possible jail sentence for failing to clean up unwanted junk and litter on their property. But litter control will work with homeowners who, for health or financial reasons, cannot clean up their property by themselves.

The commission is hoping to have the ordinance in operation within two months.

The proposed ordinance is welcomed, and is a step in the right direction when it comes to helping to clean up Mercer County. Property owners must be willing to take responsibility for their own properties. A yard littered with unwanted trash and debris can not only ruin a neighborhood, but can also tarnish the overall image of a town, city or community.

It’s time for property owners to take notice. You can remove unwanted junk and litter from your yards now, or face a possible financial penalty or even jail sentence later this year.

Let’s all work together to help clean up Mercer County.