Maintenance ordinance to go on W.P. warrant

WEST PARIS —  Selectmen, at their February 14 meeting, voted unanimously to put a draft property maintenance ordinance on this year's town meeting warrant, as recommended by the planning board. 

Selectman Wade Rainey said whether the town adopts the ordinance will be up to voters at town meeting. 

Town meeting is set for March 2 at 10 a.m. at the Agnes Gray Elementary School gymnasium.

Selectmen will hold a public hearing on the ordinance at their next scheduled selectmen's meeting, February 28, at 5 p.m. at the town office.

The ordinance was first discussed by selectmen in January, 2012, after a resident requested the town regulate which items are visible on a person's property from the street. 

Town Manager John White said, at the time, that he was unaware of any other towns in Maine with an ordinance of this kind.

At their January 2012 meeting selectmen reviewed a sample "yard clean-up ordinance" from Indiana and agreed to hand over the proposed ordinance to the planning board for further review. 

 White said he suspects town meeting attendance to be a bit higher this year and for the meeting to last longer because of certain articles on the warrant, including the ordinance. 

"It might make for an interesting portion of town meeting," White said. 

The purpose of the ordinance, as it is written, "is to set a minimum standard for the maintenance of the grounds of property in order to protect public health, public safety, property values, and to prevent nuisance conditions." 

According to the ordinance, "all visible property grounds or parts thereof shall be maintained to prevent unsafe, unsanitary and/or nuisance conditions," based on the definition of nuisance by state law (Title 17, Section 2802) and "to avoid any adverse affect on the value of adjoining properties." 

The ordinance would apply to both residential and commercial properties. If passed, the town's code enforcement officer will enforce the ordinance.