By MARTHA McCLAIN
Special to the PRESS
Property upkeep is being targeted in an expanded Laguna Vista Cares campaign.
Initiated originally as a “no texting” crusade following a pedestrian fatality by a woman texting while driving in Town limits, the campaign is being extended to proactively push for public awareness in a positive manner.
“Our priority is to raise awareness, be proactive and work with people,” said City Manager Rolando Vela.
“This clean-up campaign is a positive, proactive campaign to raise awareness on the importance of maintaining property,” he said.
But, the campaign also has teeth. Property owners found to be in violation can be cited $500 for every day in violation, Vela said.
The problem lies chiefly with absentee property owners who don’t maintain their vacant lots, the city manager said.
“Boats and trailers not being parked in prepared spaces, and brush piles. Brush piles should be put in front of the yards between the tenth to the fifteenth of every month. Property owners are also dumping their brush across the street on vacant lots,” he added.
The process to bring property owners into compliance includes mailing and distributing letters to property owners.
“Warnings and citations are also being issued by the police officers acting as code enforcement officers,” Vela said.
The overriding reason for enforcing this measure is to demonstrate that Laguna Vista Cares.
“People in Laguna Vista care about their community and their property. They maintain their properties, and they expect others to do the same,” the city manager said.
Additionally, the Town provides a recycling program in conjunction with Allied Waste Services on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 8 a.m.-12 noon at Roloff Park, behind the Town Hall at 122 Fernandez Street.
Items accepted for recycling are aluminum, tin, newspapers, cardboard and plastics. The fee for the recycling service is included in residents’ trash collection bill.
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