PIMA — During Tuesday’s Town Council meeting, Pima Town Councilman CB Fletcher addressed the issue of fire safety.
Referring to the blaze in Thatcher last weekend that destroyed a family’s home and multiple vehicles, Fletcher said the amount of items on the property is believed to be a factor in why the damage was so extensive; creating an obstacle for firefighters and preventing them from access to slow the spread of the fire.
Given that there are properties in Pima with large amounts of items on the lots, he asked town staff if anything was being done to prevent a similar tragedy from happening in Pima.
“We have cited numerous properties, and we are going through court on those properties because of that same issue,” said Pima Police Chief Diane Cauthen.
Town Manager Vernon Batty said the process does take time and expense, and early rulings did not favor the town. However, he said things are starting to change due to lack of action cleaning the lots by the property owners.
“The court, basically, was giving them chance after chance after chance, and finally realized they have no interest in doing it. So the court has tightened up and is helping us now,” Batty said.
Fletcher then asked about weed abatement, especially on vacant lots, again with the goal of fire prevention.
Batty said the town does notify property owners that overgrowth of weeds must be addressed, but there is no penalty for ignoring the notice.
He said town staff is looking into establishing a fee structure for noncompliance and will bring it back before the Town Council for action.
