The Helper City Council is taking steps to decriminalize ugliness, at least as far as eyesore properties go.
This does not mean that owners of lots with tall weeds, junk cars or other unsightly or hazardous stuff will get off scot-free, though.
As police officer and council member Donna Archuleta told her colleagues at the Feb. 1 council session, property owners who don’t comply with upkeep rules would be liable for civil penalties.
It’s better for the city because fines collected for misdemeanors are shared with the state, while civil collections would accrue entirely to the city.
Archuleta also recommended hiring an additional part-time compliance officer rather than have full-time officers add more expensive overtime hours for ordinance enforcement.
The city would also have the option of settling matters with community service hours instead of cash penalties, explained city attorney Jeremy Humes. He added that the process of replacing criminal penalties with civil ones means that all city ordinances must be reviewed and amended to reflect the proposed changes.
The council authorized the city attorney and Archuleta to conduct the review and report back.
Here’s some background: When a team of architects and city planners visited Helper last year, they conducted a survey of citizens asking what changes they would make if they had a chance. The Number One response: clean things up.
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