SAFFORD — Since adopting a new strategy last year to encourage homeowners to clean their properties, there have been just two cases where the City of Safford has done the work and charged the homeowner.
Neighborhood Officer Andrew Bell outlined the process for the City Council during Monday’s meeting, explaining that the goal is for the homeowner to conduct the cleanup themselves without involving the court system.
“What I try to do with everybody is, if we can get verbal (confirmation), try to give them two weeks, and then go back and check to see if they’re in compliance or they are working to be become compliant,” Bell said.
If Bell can’t secure a verbal commitment by the homeowner to bring the property up to city code, a certified letter is sent. If the homeowner continues to be unresponsive, the city attorney begins the legal process of abatement and, upon a judge’s order, the city hires a contractor to complete the work.
The homeowner is sent a bill for the work — plus 5 percent — which the homeowner can pay or appeal to the City Council. If the homeowner takes no action, a lien for the full amount is placed on the property.
There were 203 cases from June 2023 to June 2024, with 167 requiring certified mailings and 34 forwarded to the city attorney. However, there were only two cases where the homeowner did not eventually complete the required work.
Bell said a big help for homeowners has been the city making a community cleanup trailer available for bulk trash items.
“We’ve had so much success, we got a second trailer and we had 45 reservations from January to June,” Bell said.
To request use of the trailer, click here.
