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LAS CRUCES - The two biggest complaints voiced to the city last year - and the year before, for that matter - were both five-letter words.
Weeds and trash. Nothing else even came close.
"Nobody wants their house in a neighborhood that isn't kept up," said Ernesto Perea, a Las Cruces resident who said Tuesday that he's had a city Codes Enforcement officer come to his home seeking compliance to keep weeds from spreading across his property.
There were 23,064 codes violations in 2010, a noticeable drop from 2009, when 32,429 were reported. The numbers come from the 2010 annual Codes Enforcement Summary Report. The report showed that violations for weeds and trash accounted for more than half of all violations.
"The weeds can get pretty bad
While the total number of violations were in the tens of thousands, the number of citations issued was fewer than 1,000.
Citations are considered petty misdemeanors and the maximum penalty for noncompliance with city codes is a $500 fine and as long as 90 days in jail.
Property owners or tenants who are cited for any codes violation must appear in Las Cruces Municipal Court.
Fine collection
City Manager Robert Garza said the money collected from fines levied for codes violations goes into the city's general fund. However, he added the city really doesn't collect much money from citations. Revenues from fines and permits issued by the city only accounts for about 1 percent of all revenues generated by city government.
"The goal is not for Codes Enforcement to be a money-maker but rather to achieve voluntary compliance from the residents," Garza said.
Fines from codes citations are included in the same category with court-awarded funds for the Police Department, according to the city's 2011 fiscal year budget. The budget does not show a line item for fines collected by Codes Enforcement.
At the start of the city's 2011 fiscal year, which began July 1, it was projected that revenues to the city's general fund from fines would amount to $82,000, and total projected revenues for city during the fiscal year would amount to $79 million. However, when city council approved a mid-year budget adjustment in January, that included the anticipated reduction of slightly more than $16,000 in fines.
Weeds, trash
According to city statistics, there were 8,553 violations for unsightly or uncontrolled weeds reported by Codes Enforcement officers in 2010. That resulted in 458 citations being issued to property owners, or tenants, who allowed those undesirable conditions to persist.
Trash accumulation accounted for 3,623 violations and 178 citations issued in 2010.
Nancy Haney, a retired teacher, had a quick explanation why trash would be an issue to most residents.
"It's a matter of health," Haney said. "Why is it so hard for people to pick up after themselves and make sure their trash is properly disposed of? It's a matter of being considerate of not only your neighbor but yourself, too. The amount of trash and litter is just a sign of disrespect for your neighbors and your community."
Also in 2010, there were 1,679 violations for inoperable vehicles, 1,535 violations of obstructing sidewalks, and 1,471 violations for improper distribution of advertising or handbills.
By comparison, there were three times more violations for weeds than there was for graffiti.
Weeds and allergies
To be expected, the problems with weeds could be linked to the times of the year when allergies seemed to be at their worst. In August and September, as the summer rainy season peaked, there were 1,122 and 1,185 violations, respectively.
"We know every August and September our weed complaints are off the charts," Garza said.
In March and April 2010, as spring began and everything began to bloom, weed violations totaled 929 and 955.
"The weeds just kill me in the spring," said Dora Prado, a Las Cruces secretary. "Those are the months I wish people would just remember to cut their weeds down or pull them out altogether. The weeds are nasty."
Compared to 2009, Codes Enforcement officers were busier in 2010 trying to get property owners or tenants to control their weeds. According to 2010 statistics, there were 8,553 complaints reported, or 1,169 more violations than 2009. There were 84 more citations issued in 2010, 458, than the 374 in 2009.
"Our goal, clearly, is to eliminate the problem," Cortez said. "In the Codes Enforcement program we strive for compliance. Only as a last resort, after we've tried to work with the property owner to come into compliance, are citations issued."
Cortez agreed that weeds and trash are the two biggest problems that keep officers busy. The number of trash complaints dropped to 3,623 last year from 3,881 in 2009. But the number of citations issued increased last year to 178, from 153 in 2009.
Gaining compliance
"What those numbers tell me is that Codes Enforcement is making a positive difference," Garza said. "Since the undeniable goal is to achieve compliance, if you look at the number of citations compared to the total violations, that tells me Codes Enforcement is focusing on correcting the problem. When only about 3 percent of all those violations have led to citations, that tells me Codes Enforcement gets a 97 percent scorecard, and that's pretty good in my book."
Cortez said she wasn't aware of any instance where an offender was assessed the combined maximum penalties of a $500 fine and 90 days in jail.
Steve Ramirez can be reached at (575) 541-5452.
The top 10 in 2010
Most codes violations
1. Weeds (8,523 violations)
2. Trash accumulation (3,623)
3. Inoperable vehicles (1,679)
4. Sidewalk obstruction (1,535)
5. Advertising/handbill distribution (1,471)
6. Graffiti observed (1,208)
7. Building permit violations (1,057)
8. No parking violations (1,028)
9. Traffic obstruction (949)
10. Business regulations/license (777)
A total of 23,064 codes violations were reported in 2010
Source: Las Cruces Codes Enforcement
Most codes citations
1. Weeds (458 citations)
2. No parking violations (190)
3. Trash accumulation (178)
4. Unlawful use of utilities (127)
5. Littering (51)
6. Business registration/license (48)
7. Zoning violations (40)
8. Inoperable vehicles (33)
9. Building permit violations (23)
10. Sidewalk obstruction (22)
A total of 862 citations were issued in 2010.
Source: City of Las Cruces Codes Enforcement
At the bottom
The 10 fewest codes enforcement violations, and citations, issued in 2010
1. Barbed wire/electric fences: six violations reported, no citations
2. Americans With Disabilities Act violations: 21, no citations issued
3. Burn permit: 25 violations, three citations issued
4. Light ordinance: 23 violations, no citations issued
5. Unlawful use of utilities: 31 violations, 12 citations issued
6. Dust ordinance: 47 violations, two citations issued
7. Sale/display of aerosol spray: 55 violations, nine citations issued
8. Recreational Vehicle ordinance: 56 violations, two citations issued
9. Meters required: 69 violations, no citations issued
10. Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) parking violations: 74 violations, 13 citations issued
Source: City of Las Cruces Codes Enforcement
