It’s not quite a scarlet letter, but rather an orange door hanger, and it means you’re in violation of a village ordinance.
The village welcomed in not only a new ordinance enforcement officer Reed Brown last month, but a new procedure in notifying village residents of their violations.
As ordinance enforcement officer, Brown, who has served as a reserve police officer in the village since 2006, will keep a close eye on business and personal properties in the village to make sure they are abiding by ordinances, such as grass/weed height and property maintenance. If they’re not, that’s where the orange door hanger comes in.
‘We hang the door hanger which states the violation and that the person needs to contact the village within five days so we can find a way to restore the violation,? Brown said, adding he is more than happy to work with homeowners, but wants to make sure the community is safe and clean.
According to Brown, the new orange tag procedure cuts out on lag time, as the village use to mail the homeowner a notice of violation, which cut into their five days to make adjustments.
Police Chief Jerry Narsh said the orange tag has a two fold purpose, not only notifying the homeowner, but advising ‘the neighbors and complainants that we’ve been there and we’re taking care of it.?
Narsh also noted that the orange tag is not a ticket, but a notice that the homeowner has five days to contact the department and start working on taking care of the violation. If the notice is ignored, Narsh said that’s where a ticket can come into play.
One of things Brown will focus on enforcing is the grass/weed height, as those are not to exceed eight inches.
‘That’s a big one since we are now in the spring and summer season,? Brown said, noting that there are a lot of house for sale around the village. ‘Keep the lawns clean and keep them short.?
‘We don’t want perspective buyers to come in and see unkempt lawns,? he added. ‘We’re trying to attract more and more people to our community.?
According to Narsh, in the case of grass/weed height, the village council passed an amendment to the ordinance that now allows the village to contract out, at the owner’s expense, for lawn service if a violation is ignored.
‘Please understand the Village of Lake Orion doesn’t want to mow lawns, but if we are forced to, it won’t be cheap,? Narsh said.
Should the village be forced into seeking lawn service for a property, the homeowner will pay for the service and a 30-percent administration fee. They have 30 days to repay the bill or it goes as a tax lien on their property.
According to Narsh, this new procedure will allow the village to make sure that properties with absent homeowners or bank-owned properties are also being maintained as well.
Narsh thanked the village manager and the council for the allowance of this procedure, and thinks that it and the new door hangers will allow for smoother operations on violations, and welcomed Brown on board to enforce it all.
‘I’m excited to have Reed on board and to get him out there,? Narsh said, noting that Brown has a lot of care for the community. ‘If you see him and he stops by, say hi.?
Both Narsh and Brown remind village residents that if they see a violation to contact the police department.
‘We like to encourage residents and business owners if they have any complaints, big or small, to give us a call at (248)693-8321,? Brown said. ‘That’s what we’re here for.?