A recent report discusses the status of the Clean Cleveland Initiative, including the assesment of fines for work performed by the City.

Law change allows city to cut more lawns on private land

Late summer at vacant houses used to mean waist-high grass, angry residents and frustrated council members.

But this year, many more lawns are being cut. City Council revised a law to streamline the process for cutting overgrown lawns on private land. Mayor Frank Jackson's Clean Cleveland initiative, aimed at delivering services more efficiently, has also helped, say some council members.

With an estimated 10,000 vacant properties in Cleveland - many of them foreclosed homes - overgrown lawns epitomize to many residents the declining quality of life in neighborhoods.

"It is one of those very, very challenging symbols that makes people feel they are losing control of their neighborhoods," said Councilman Jay Westbrook.

The revised law allows the city to go in and mow after publishing a newspaper ad warning owners of vacant property that the grass is too high. Before, the city would mow only after citing property owners and giving them about two weeks to mow.

Clean Cleveland increases the efficiency. The program coordinates grass cutting, street sweeping, boarding-up of vacant houses and other city services so that every three weeks or so, work crews sweep through a neighborhood.

Recently a grass-cutting team led by James Shepherd spread out on Wheelock. They followed a straight line of scheduled stops. Last year, their workday operated more like a zigzag around town.

"We'd get one on East 105th and then one on East 55th, then one in another neighborhood," he said.

Wheelock resident Denise Dawson likes the new system.

"I see a difference, but I hope it continues," she said.

Statistics show the new approach is working for vacant structures. In 2005, the city cut grass 2,800 times at lots with structures. Already this year, the figure has jumped to more than 9,100 cuts.

Property owners must reimburse the city for grass cutting but frequently don't, leaving the city to wait until the property is sold to get its cash back. The city charges an average of $336 per cut for mowing and cleanup.

In 2005, the city billed property owners nearly $1.9 million for grass cutting and cleanup and recovered $750,000. This year the city will use a collection agency to increase recovery, said Finance Director Sharon Dumas.

Councilman Zack Reed is angry the city is losing money cutting grass, especially for properties owned by mortgage companies and real estate investors.

Reed said, however, that this is the first year in a long time that he hasn't gotten constant complaints about high grass in Mount Pleasant.

"It's like night and day," he said. "The lawns aren't manicured, but the grass isn't 6 feet high, either."

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