In a recent Panora City Council meeting, the topic of property nuisances was brought up.

Mayor Pat Parker says that there are a variety of reasons that a nuisance notice may be issued, from not clearing sidewalks after a snowstorm and not mowing the lawn, to having unregistered vehicles, furniture or refuse laying around on a property. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio that the Panora Police Department enforces the city code when it comes to nuisance complaints, and that in the busy part of the year, they work with the city to help residents get things cleaned up.

“The police department normally starts getting complaints in the spring, and they do a lot of their stuff in the May timeframe. And then the city normally does a citywide cleanup in June, so we try to coordinate the police department’s push on cleaning up properties with the city cleanup day. So again, it gives those property owners an option to have that stuff hauled away through the city cleanup day.”

Parker adds that usually once someone receives a nuisance complaint, they have a set amount of time to get things cleaned up. However, if the issue isn’t taken care of within the time frame, Parker mentions that one consequence is to fine the property owner and another way is to enact an abatement. During an abatement, the police department works with the necessary people to clean up the property, and the bill for the clean up is sent to the property owner. They can then pay in ten equal installments, or have it put against their property taxes as a lien.