Cutting Back A Health Hazard

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Wheeling Island residents such as William Seabright and Floyd Yost work each year to keep empty lots in their neighborhood neat and tidy.

During the summer months, they cut grass and weeds on 15 different properties. Spread throughout a week, each lot takes about 30 minutes to clip, not including picking up sticks and other stuff that dull mower blades. They don't own the lots and they don't get paid to cut them. They do it because they like their neighborhood and want it to look its best.

''We do it for ourselves,'' Yost said.

Some of the lots are where the city of Wheeling razed dilapidated structures. Instead of leaving city workers with the burden of mowing them, the residents stepped up and volunteered to do the cutting. Most of the property owners pay a yearly grass-cutting fee to the Island Community Association, which covers the cost of buying fuel, oil and new parts for the riding mowers used by Yost and Seabright. The association owns the riding mowers, two of which were donated by the Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack.

''We don't trim or anything - we're not going to spoil them,'' Seabright said of those who own the properties where he cuts the grass.

Seabright noted another resident, Dana Terry, prunes some empty lots on north end of the Island and a couple on the south side.

Some may have noticed other lots in the city where it appears grass hasn't been cut for days or weeks. About 300 complaints are lodged with the Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department each year about tall grass and weeds across the city.

The health department does not search for such lots - it is up to residents to report such infractions of the law. And, ultimately, it is the city's responsibility to keep the lots cut if health officials cannot reach the property owner. Currently, there are 32 properties with no identifiable owner that the city must keep up, said Sanitarian Laughlin Johnson.

''The hazard of high grass is that it's a habitat for rodents. Mice and rats hide in high grass. It's also an insect breeding area. During dry conditions, high grass is a fire hazard,'' Johnson said.

Each complaint lodged is investigated by a sanitarian, beginning with an on-site inspection and photographs. Grass is not supposed to be taller than 10 inches. And depending on how difficult it is to find the owner via property tax-type records, an investigation can last days or weeks. Once the owner's address is found, two letters - certified and first class - are mailed. If no contact is made, eventually the property's address is forwarded to the city Public Works Department, which is tasked with keeping the property cut.

''The city limits is the only place it applies,'' Johnson said of the measure.

Those that receive the health department notice have five business days to correct the problem. And, Laughlin noted, most do. Those who refuse to comply must be served a notice to come to the Health and Building Code Construction Court or Circuit Court. Evidence must be presented by the health department, which typically includes photographs of the uncut lot.

Offenders can receive up to a $500 fine, 30 days in jail or both. Those who fail to appear in court can have a bench warrant issued for their arrest. However, Laughlin believes the warrant can only be served if the person already is being cited for another infraction.

Member Comments

View Comments: | 1-12 | Post a comment

Katabatic
07-02-08 9:53 AM »Report Abuse	Endwelfare, the way to win back a neighborhood is by doing it a property at a time, Just like Seabright, Yost, Danny Taylor, Bill Giles, and others, are doing it on the Island. You gotta have pride to do what these men do. It's easy to throw in the towel and quit. But long time residents of Wheeling Island are not quitters. Otherwise, they would have left at the first sign of flood waters.
acousticportal
07-01-08 3:16 PM »Report Abuse	That's right...get rid of the empty lots....bring back crack houses, bring back crack houses!
needanewmayor
07-01-08 11:05 AM »Report Abuse	Anyone reading these comments should stop and read the one below me. So the person calls themself Endwelfare and then posts like that? Hmm. Am I the only one confused by that?
EndWelfare
06-30-08 10:04 PM »Report Abuse	Those guys are real heroes in a dumpy city. Wheeling, particlularly the island, is nothing more than a washed up crapshooter. Quite frankly, I can't believe an entity such as the WVSSAC, who supposedly cares about our kids, allows the high school football championships to be played across the street from a gambling establishment. This is awful. The last time I was on the Island, I saw three creeps banging on someone's door. One of them had a baseball hat in hand. Nice neighborhood. Those guys would be better off to move and let the grass grow over the garbage.
Momof3
06-30-08 9:14 PM »Report Abuse	If the city didn't have all these empty lots, they wouldn't be getting complaints of high grass and overgrown lots!
Katabatic
06-30-08 2:30 PM »Report Abuse	Great job Mr. Seabright, Mr. Yost, Mr. Terry, and Mr. Bill Giles, all men who frequently volunteer their time to cut others lawns and vacant lawns. They can and do make people like that today. All it takes is a young man with a sense of community spirit to make a difference. Many thanks to the Island Community Association.
junebug
06-30-08 12:50 PM »Report Abuse	Thank you to Mr. Yost & Mr. Seabright for taking care of the neighborhood. Islandcar summed it up as "they don't make them like that anymore" So very true. If everyone would do his or her part wouldn't this community be a much better place? I help out in my neighborhood & all I get it criticized. So this is why I say Thank you to the decent people who care.
Islandcat
06-30-08 12:16 PM »Report Abuse	Mr. Seabright and Mr. Yost are true assets to our community. They don't make them like that anymore.
rockdrummer
06-30-08 11:02 AM »Report Abuse	joesr66, "There" is a location. "Their" is a possessive plural pronoun, including more then one person. "Propertys" is not a word. "Properties" is a word.
kaiserhund
06-30-08 10:30 AM »Report Abuse	I think it is a shame the way Wheeling has been left to deteriorate over the last 30b years. The city administration should be ashamed of themselves. Wheeling has many assets in its favor, but due to incompetent and corrupt leadership, the city is left to rot.
joesr66
06-30-08 8:53 AM »Report Abuse	I have heard of excuses and this is bull or another way of not doing there job.Let me give some examples and we all konw the City buys up propertys and as far as cutting the grass they do not. The city owns the place down by Orrick where the Green door was and there are weeds in the sidewalk that should be taken care of. There are other places the city own and needs some attention. How can the City tell people to cut their weeds when the City doesn't do there now where do they get a free pass?
PCGS70
06-30-08 8:51 AM »Report Abuse	‘‘I would never put a stray cat in there,’’ Yost said while describing the state of the building. But Virginia Street resident William Seabright had other concerns. ‘‘I’ve lived on the Island for 46 years and for the past six years, it’s getting to be a very bad neighborhood,’’ Seabright said. ‘‘I admire what she wants to do, but it’s a bad corner — I hate to say it.’’ Seabright said the building is near three houses where illegal drugs are sold, and he claimed prostitutes also do business nearby.

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