Understanding code enforcement…

Several people have asked about code enforcement over the last few weeks and some of you may have recently received a certified letter in the mail, notifying you of issues on your property.

Please understand, we are trying to ensure that the health, safety, and visual presentation for all our citizens and visitors are maintained at a minimum level. If property owners fail to maintain their property, they will be notified of the violation through certified mail. The notification will outline the ordinance violation and provide the allotted time frame to resolve the issue. If the property owner does not resolve the violation, the City has the right to enter the property or to contract for the correction of the violation. If this occurs, the cost of the corrective action will be passed through to the property owner as well as a $200 administrative fee.

I’m going to outline what the ordinance states are as well as provide some pictures to better illustrate what your community and neighbors are looking for.

Grass and weeds…

Residents and businesses in New Fairview are asked to maintain grass and weeds on their occupied or unoccupied property to the edge of paved surfaces as well as within 200 feet of buildings. Further, the grass or weeds that are taller than 12 inches are in violation of the ordinance.

Garbage, trash, or rubbish…

New Fairview residents are asked to maintain their properties free of garbage, trash, and rubbish. The storing or keeping or any and all stacks, heaps or piles of old lumber, refuse, junk, old cars or machinery or parts thereof, garbage, trash, rubbish, scrap metal, ruins, demolished or partially demolished structure or buildings, piles of stones, bricks or broken rocks on any premises bordering any public street in the city so as to produce an unsightly and ugly appearance of which may harbor reptiles or rodents, crate a fire hazard or result in unsanitary conditions is hereby declared to be a public nuisance and unlawful.

Trash services for solid waste…

New Fairview residents are required to maintain an agreement with Frontier Waste Solutions. All occupied residential, industrial, and commercial units within the City limits shall be charged monthly and receive solid waste collection and disposal services at established intervals.

Burning trash…

Burning of garbage, trash, or waste material is prohibited. Controlled burning of brush may be done only after obtaining a burn permit at City Hall. Any person violating any provision of the ordinance shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be subject to a fine. Each occurrence shall be deemed a separate violation.

Junk vehicle…

A vehicle that is inoperative or does not have current license, inspection or is inoperative for any reason and is visible from a public place or public right of way is detrimental to the safety and welfare of the general public, tends to reduce the value of private property, constitutes an attractive nuisance, and is detrimental to the economic welfare of the state by producing urban blight adverse to the maintenance and continuing development of the municipalities in the state, and is a public nuisance.

(Texas Transportation Code Chapter 683, Sub-Chapter E)

Putting it all together…

If you receive a notification and are uncertain as to whether or not you can resolve the violation within the time frame allotted, please reach out to City Hall and let us know what your plan of action is to bring the violation into compliance. We are ready and willing to work with you to make sure that New Fairview is always “the city with a view.”ode