Rain keeps lawn services, code compliance officers busy

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Staff writer

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Recent rain fall has lawn services and the City of Clovis playing catch up with the amount of growth the moisture has caused.

Marcus Brice, chief code compliance officer for the city, said he has written more than 200 violation notices for weeds and still has 100 complaints that need to be addressed. And that’s just in the past month.

“A majority of it (the number of violation notices) is due to increased rainfall and a little bit of it is the fault of people not maintaining their property.” said Brice.

Brice said that his staff can’t go to one house without finding additional code violations in the same area as the complaint.

“We can go to inspect one house and find 50 violations on the same block,” Brice said.

Brice said even the city is having a difficult time keeping up with the weeds.

“It seems like they (weeds) can grow a foot over night.” said Brice.

Weeds more than 12 inches tall are in violation of the city’s code, according to Brice.

Brice said property owners are responsible for maintaining their land from the curb in front of the property to the center of the alley and up to the property lines side lot to side lot.

link Staff photo: Joshua Lucero

Jori’s Landscape Maintenance worker Jacob Hurt of Portales uses a weed trimmer at a Norris Street property. Lawn services and code compliance officers with the city have been hustling to catch up with increased growth due to recent rains.

Local lawn maintenance services have also been affected by the increase in moisture.

Joseph Amaro, owner of Advantage Lawn Care of Clovis, said he has had to hire more people to handle the amount of work they have coming in.

“A lot of our 10-day accounts have turned into weekly accounts,” said Amaro.

Amaro said his lawn crews have had short delays because they have had to wait for properties to dry out enough to be taken care of.

Jacob Hurt, a laborer with Jori’s Landscape Maintenance of Portales, said the thicker grass and weeds he encounters has made some jobs tougher.

Corry Gramzow, owner of Jori’s, said his company has had to make an effort to keep up grass and weed growth.

Gramzow said, “We’ve found ourselves hustling a little more and we have to mow a little more often.”

The story is the same for Clovis’ David Brigham, part owner of D&C Mowing & Trimming.

“We’re busy like every one else, busy as can be.” said Brigham.

Brigham added, “It (more rain) is more money in your pocket.”