Get early jump on property cleanup

It’s not far off—the annual review that will take a look from the street to determine if residential properties may have violations of Imperial’s nuisance code. With final approval given Monday to this year’s program, staff from West Central Nebraska Development District will be in the community soon.
    The city is divided into seven sections for nuisance reviews and, each year, the city chooses a section for that review, so each section of town gets a look about once every 7 years. This year, it’s a section in the southwest part of Imperial, as well as Winter’s Trailer Court on the north.
        It’s likely that most people believe what they have in their yards and on their property shouldn’t matter to anyone, especially city officials. While naturally most of us may feel that way, we also have to consider our neighbors and their properties, as well as the overall appearance of our community.
    It’s probable that a messy property next door can affect the value of the homes in its immediate area. There are also safety concerns, such as abandoned refrigerators in a back yard that may draw the curiosity of a young person in the neighborhood. Standing water in discarded tires attracts mosquitoes and other insects that probably don’t stay in that yard alone. Unkempt, falling down sheds can attract animals you may not want in the area.
    Trees are another issue. If half the limbs are dead, it’s likely the rest of the tree will eventually get there and if in a place where pedestrians pass, it could be dangerous to those passersby.
    Even if your property is not in the review section this year, it won’t hurt any of us to take a look at our properties and clean up some things if needed. Summer isn’t far off when travel and other events intensify, so why not do a quick cleanup now? All of the community will be better for your efforts.