ROY -- The city council is considering adopting a landscape ordinance that would require residents to keep yards in better shape as part of a citywide plan to improve the appearance and morale of the city.
Former City Councilwoman Marge Becraft approached the council at its latest meeting, requesting changes to ordinances to force her neighbors to take better care of their yards.
"My neighbor across the street has no grass left ... it's just ugly all the time," Becraft said. She also referenced other houses in her neighborhood with dead lawns and tall weeds that are constantly neglected.
City Councilman Mike Stokes suggested the city look into adopting a landscape ordinance. Becraft agreed that would be a good idea.
"Even if there were dirt and rocks it would be better than dead grass and weeds," Becraft said.
Stokes suggested the council even look at suggesting that parts of yards could be xeriscaped or something, just so there aren't weeds and dying grass, which can be a fire hazard.
City Councilman Willard Cragun said he recently took a trip around town with City Manager Chris Davis and noticed that many houses in the city have fallen into neglect.
"It just looks real bad," Cragun said of some neighborhoods, and he doesn't want that in Roy.
"I think this is by far the biggest issue I hear about when I talk to people about their concerns about our city ... it is weeds and people's yards," Stokes said.
But, he pointed out, it is a difficult situation because of property rights.
"We don't want to mess with people's lives and their property ... but we can tweak some things," Stokes said. He thinks a landscape ordinance is a good place to start.
"This needs to be a high-priority project," he added.
Resident Lil Ackley said her neighborhood is in bad shape also.
"We do need to at least enforce our ordinances," she said.
City Councilman Brad Hilton thinks there are ways to work out an ordinance without infringing on private property rights, such as something similar to what is required of businesses.
"I think we can give enough latitude, but make positive change," Hilton said.
Hilton would like to see more enforcement on the appearance of businesses as well.
Stokes said the time to act with an ordinance is now: "We are literally at a turning point and we are coming to a plateau, and if we don't act soon, it's going to turn into decline."
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