Cleaning Up Irrigon

By Sara Desautel

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Morrow County wants Irrigon city officials to clean up their act.

Story Published: Jun 26, 2007 at 5:17 PM PST

IRRIGON--The Sheriff says he sees a lot of eyesores in Morrow County, but why should people clean up their act, when the city isn't keeping its own property up to code.

Irrigon's got no curbs or clearly defined markers to show where private property ends and city property begins.

The sheriff cites people with unsightly yards but he says the city doesn't follow its own rules.

They let weeds and grass grow over into private lots.

Irrigon resident Walter Tittman said, "I don't think they're tough enough with enforcement. They just don't get it done."

Property owners have noticed too.

The Sheriff's Code Enforcement Officer would like the city and property owners to do their part and then he can do his job.

Sheriff's Deputy Bill Williamson said, "How can I cite this individual for that lot when I have to deal with that?"

The sheriff is also a member of city council, he says weeds are the biggest concern, because those make a fire danger.

Some Irrigon residents feel like they're paying the price until the city cleans up their act.

Tittman said, "I figure that these place down there that are short on maintenance are costing me money on the value of my home."

The mayor told Action News the city has weed control out almost every day of the week, it's keeping up that's the problem.

City officials admit they could do a better job and agreed to use three-hundred hours of community service crews to step up their cleaning efforts.