Quick! Grab The Mower! The Kalamazoo Grass Police Are On The Way

If you're a property owner, and you know who you are, and you've got tall grass growing, and maybe some poison ivy, too. Start mowing now. The Kalamazoo Grass Police may be out to get you.

They're not really the Grass Police. It's officially "The Community Planning and Development Department (CPD)" and they've started enforcement of the tall grass and weed ordinance. City ordinance requires all property owners to keep grass maintained below 12 inches and requires the eradication of noxious weeds of any height (such as poison ivy, poison oak, ragweed, etc.). This includes the public curb lawn area in front of all properties.

In 2013, the City Commission approved a "cost recovery fee" (that's spelled f-i-n-e) for each weed notice and it's currently $77. The notice gives the property owner 10 days to correct the ordinance violation by mowing the grass and/or eradicating the weeds. If not mowed by the 10 day deadline, the city will authorize a contractor to abate the violation by mowing the property. The cost of mowing and an additional administrative charge will be billed to the property owner.