This week, City Representative Henry Rivera, District 7, submitted three items to the City Clerk’s office for Council’s consideration at the upcoming City Council Meeting.
The items seek to provide relief on the issuance of citations for overgrown weeds for residential property owners who have filed an over 65 or persons with disabilities exemption with the El Paso Central Appraisal District. The items read as follows:
- Discussion and action to direct the City Manager and City Attorney to impose a moratorium on Article XVII of the City’s Municipal Code for residential property owners who have filed an over 65 or persons with disabilities homestead exemption with the El Paso Central Appraisal District; this moratorium will protect a person over 65 years or disabled person from receiving a citation from the City for overgrown weeds at their homestead property; to go into effect immediately and expire on December 31, 2022.
- Discussion and action to direct the City Manager and City Attorney to create an amnesty period for residential property owners who have filed an over 65 or persons with disabilities exemption with the El Paso Central Appraisal District that have received a citation for overgrown weeds in the last 60 days.
- Discussion and action to direct the City Manager and City Attorney to create a permanent moratorium on Article XVII of the City’s Municipal Code for residential property owners who have filed an over 65 or persons with disabilities exemption with the El Paso Central Appraisal District from July 15 to September 30 of every year. Calling it the “65 for 65+ Moratorium.” The moratorium will protect a person over 65 years or disabled person from receiving a citation from the City for overgrown weeds at their homestead property during El Paso’s monsoon season.
Article XVII of the City’s Municipal Code, which focuses on weeds and vegetation, states that owners shall maintain properties as to prevent the growth of weeds and vegetation. If the owner fails to maintain their property as to prevent the growth of weeds and vegetation, Article XVII also states that the City is to notify the owner of the public nuisance and the owner then has seven calendar days after receipt of such notice to clean the property before having to incur the cost of the City or other entity cleaning the property.
“At a point in time where the City is unable to keep up with the maintenance of overgrown weeds along medians on City and State roadways and is now seeking volunteers to help clean-up those medians, it is unfair to expect that our senior and disabled residents keep up with their own yards and abutting parkways and alleys,” said City Representative Henry Rivera, District 7. “This year, El Paso has seen more rain than in past years and while we do encourage all property owners to comply with the code and ensure that their properties are clean, we must be sensitive to the fact that it is difficult for our seniors and persons with disabilities to keep up with their overgrown weeds during the monsoon season.”
The items are expected to be voted on by Council at the City Council meeting scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, October 25, 2022 at City Hall.
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