CCB MEDIA PHOTO
Barnstable Town Councilor Jennifer Cullum, right, discusses the so-called nuisance property ordinance with Town Councilor Vice President Ann Canedy, left, and Town Council President Jessica Rapp-Grassetti, center.
HYANNIS – Owners of yards strewn with debris and old appliances will be subject to fines in the town of Barnstable with the renewed passage of a town ordinance.
The Barnstable Town Council this week reauthorized an ordinance that requires property maintenance to eliminate so-called nuisance properties in town.
Nuisances listed in the ordinance include accumulated trash, abandoned appliances and stagnant pools of water.
Barnstable Town Councilor Jennifer Cullum was behind the ordinance when it was first put before the council two years ago.
“I think we have to stand up for what’s right and raise the standards around town a little bit,” she said.
The ordinance is complaint-driven and town’s health division would be in charge of determining whether certain violations met the criteria.
“I know we’re a policy board so the more policy we put into place and the more tools we give the board of health to regulate these things, the safer we make our neighborhoods and the more we improve the fabric of our community which is ultimately the reason why I’m a town councilor,” Cullum said.
The town council passed the ordinance unanimously this week, whereas the first time it was passed two years ago, several councilors voted against it. Cullum said, the issue has to do with ensuring communities are safe for families.
“I really have to point to the fact that these particular property maintenance requirements are really basic. We all deserve to have safe, clean environments for our kids,” she said.
By LAURA M. RECKFORD, CapeCod.com News Editor
Speak Your Mind