Ordinance Hopes to Curb Weapons of Flying Destruction

 

While this Delray Beach home looks tidy, the new ordinance requires home owners to clear any debris and excessive vegetation (including fallen coconuts).

Because no one likes to take out the trash, many communities have long regulated that properties be kept clean of debris. The same applies to overgrown vegetation, which of course can be a fire hazard. In some parts of the country, like the southeast, debris like scraps of wood and old furniture not only makes properties look junky, but creates weapons of flying destruction when the next hurricane comes through.

Delray Beach, situated in the southern Palm Beach County, has a new city law that requires residents to inspect their properties for ?EUR??,,????'??hazards to life, property, or utilities” with hurricanes in mind. The city has eight code enforcement officers, a field supervisor and a landscape inspector to respond to complaints about debris on properties. If the resident doesn’t comply with a clean-up request, the case goes to the code enforcement board, which can result in the city clearing the debris and billing the owner?EUR??,,????'??+and even placing a lien on the property in extreme circumstances.
The city ordinance also includes clearing power lines of tree limbs. The city, of course, does not want home owners to go anywhere near power lines?EUR??,,????'??+that is the responsibility of Florida Power & Light.

Nearby Boynton Beach and Wellington do not have similar ordinances.

Source: Sun Sentinel