Tougher neighborhood code for homes proposed

Dan Kulin

Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2002 | 11:09 a.m.

North Las Vegas city staff members are working on a law called the Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance, which would give city inspectors more power in attacking unsightly properties.

The ordinance, if approved, would create the city's first property maintenance code. The code would include existing property maintenance rules such as keeping trash out of yards, which is now addressed through health and safety regulations.

The proposed ordinance would also add some property maintenance requirements to city law, such as requiring all yards be landscaped, and that weeds and grass be kept shorter than eight inches, said Sheldon Klain, city code enforcement manager and primary author of the proposed law.

Code violators could be cited and fined, and citation challenges would be heard by a new code citation hearing officer if the ordinance is approved by the City Council. Now, Municipal Court handles every citation given by city code enforcement officers.

A draft of the ordinance is being reviewed by the city attorney's office and should go to the council in December or January, Klain said.

The City Council did not ask for the ordinance, but it would address one of the council's primary goals, which is neighborhood revitalization, Klain said.

Mayor Michael Montandon said, "Having a hearing officer could smooth things out. Now there's no intermediary between getting a citation and court. And going before a judge can be time consuming and scary."

Municipal Court now deals with about 25 citations a month, Klain said.

"But having a judge hear why this person should have five-foot weeds in their yard is probably not the most efficient use of (a judge's) time," said Jacque Risner, city community development director.

When citations go before a judge, the maximum penalty for the person cited is a $1,000 fine or 60 days in jail, Klain said.

Under the proposed ordinance, the fines would range from $100 to $500, he said.

If it passes, code enforcement officers would go door to door with fliers explaining the new property maintenance code. City staff would first focus on the older city neighborhoods, Klain said.

"We're hoping to save these neighborhoods from deterioration," Klain said.

Generally, the ordinance would require homeowners to keep their properties from falling into disrepair. In addition to limiting the height of weeds and requiring landscaping, the law would require homeowners to fix chipped or peeling paint, cracking stucco, and broken windows, Klain said.

Las Vegas and Reno already have similar ordinances, Klain said.