KENOSHA, Wis. — The City of Kenosha is putting property owners on notice that they are responsible for keeping the alleys bordering their properties clean and maintained, with citations, cleanup costs and additional fees possible for those who fail to comply.
The city issued a reminder Tuesday that under Kenosha Ordinance 5.11, property owners and other responsible parties must maintain the alley abutting their property all the way to the centerline. Alleys must remain free of garbage, trash, junk, paper and other debris. When snow and ice are not present, they also must be kept clear of dirt, dust, ashes, mud, oil and similar substances.
City officials say keeping alleys clear is not simply an appearance issue. Vehicles, pedestrians, emergency responders and city crews need to be able to safely travel through them.
Property owners are also responsible for controlling tall grass and weeds. Under Ordinance 5.117, grass reaching eight inches or higher constitutes a violation. The requirement extends to parkways abutting the property.
The city’s public nuisance ordinance also covers junk stored outdoors and nuisance weeds. Each day that a public nuisance violation continues can be considered a separate offense.
The city is asking residents to routinely inspect the portions of alleys adjacent to their properties and remove yard waste, obstructions, tall grass, weeds, dirt, mud, oil, ashes and anything else that could interfere with safe use of the alley.
Citations Can Increase For Repeat Violations
The Department of Public Works can investigate alleged violations after receiving a complaint from an identified party and can issue citations under Ordinance 5.11.
A first violation within a calendar year carries a $20 penalty. Second and third violations are $40 each, while a fourth or subsequent violation is $60. Those penalties double if they are not paid within seven days of the offense.
Tall weeds can become considerably more expensive.
If noxious weeds or grass reach eight inches or higher, the city can cut them and place the cost of the work on the property through a special assessment. In addition to the actual remediation costs, the city will add a $100 administrative fee.
The Department of City Inspections also has authority under Ordinance 16.252 to enforce the city’s public nuisance ordinance and abate nuisances when appropriate.
“Strong neighborhoods start with everyone doing their part. Properly maintaining our properties and alleyways not only improves the appearance of our community, it helps prevent nuisances, protects neighboring properties and shows the pride we have in Kenosha,” Inspections Department Director Gary Roberts said.
Residents with questions about alley maintenance requirements can contact the City of Kenosha Department of Public Works.
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16 Responses
I read that ordinance- it says keep your alleyway or adjacent areas “free of mud”. Does this mean the city will fill all of their pothole/mudholes in the alleys??? Worry about the area behind peoples 100 year old garages “after” you properly grade the alleys, how about that.
How about telling the city…..YOU FIRST! If I lived near an alley, I would start documenting and photographing all overgrown and dilapidated city owned property. I’ll bet that every alley in town is in better condition than 30th Avenue or 80th street.
How about we worry about fixing the roads in this town before we worry about the alleys. Every road in this town is trash. They have stuck zero money into infrastructure. When people come in from out of town the first thing they mentioned are how horrible the roads are, but by all means stick a bunch of money in the the uptown and your stupid ass technologies center that nobody wants to lease. Even downtown, which is their crown jewel the roads are garbage
Just like our civil war museum they “had to have”. How often do you hear Gettysburg and Kenosha in the same sentence.
Nothing better than selective enforcement of ordinances. Maybe when sump water is no longer pumping to the storm drain, or weeds aren’t making cracks in the road worse or when overgrown shrubbery and tree branches don’t obstruct our cracked/uneven sidewalks. The sidewalks are become uneven because the city doesn’t care “their” for old growth trees between the sidewalk and curb. The city should clean up its own act before threatening fines. Can we fine them by withholding taxes?
Obey or you will be cited
Could the city please practice what they preach? Mow the 3’ weeds and clean up the old Bonnie Hames property at 30th Ave & 52nd St. which has looked the a shit hole for 50 years. It’s so unhealthy all those weeds.
In what way are weeds unhealthy?
The city should just shut up about things being messy because they cause more mess than most homeowners. They let sifi tear everything up between the sidewalk and the curb so t-mobile could offer fiber internet. Now AT&T is tearing up backyard easements so they can offer their own fiber. I expect spectrum to continue the trend of digging up everything once at&t is done.
Hypocrisy, attempted extortion.
Our taxes pay their pensions. Infrastructure? Hahahaha. They seriously think we’re as dumb as they are hipocrites. Been waiting over 2 years to have them remove their crappy diseased tree from their parkway before it kills someone, meanwhile its destroying the walkway, apron, and street. But it’ll be on me to pay for a new walkway. OVER 2 YEARS. Useless parasites. Can’t wait till AI takes their jobs.
City government has no pride in keeping up with their own property and have no room to point a finger at anyone. Once they address the poor roads, sidewalks, overgrown trees and weeds everywhere maybe more homeowners will follow their lead. We energies property under the power lines (tower line park) is nothing but a weed filled garbage dump. Maybe Gary Roberts can focus on them as well.
I was by Simmons island beach house today and couldn’t believe garbage everywhere. Who’s in charge of cleaning that up?
Tall grass, weeds, ghetto palms used to be easy to deal with until real deal Roundup was made illegal.
Gary Roberts is a cat turd that can’t be buried.
Just put up “Pollinator area” sign or how about “Butterfly Habitat” signs.
It seems people dont have to mow their front yards or parkway if they have the signs…