An item on last week's Harrison City Council Meeting agenda resulted in a detailed discussion.

The full release on the discussion from the City of Harrison is below:

At Thursday night’s city council meeting, Mayor Jerry Jackson brought forward a long-standing issue the city has faced for several years: repeat offenders and neglected properties, particularly rental homes, failing to comply with yard maintenance codes.

The mayor noted that a significant amount of time and effort has gone into legal notices and enforcement, often involving the same properties year after year. In response, several local landlords were invited to attend and participate in an open discussion with the council.

Two landlords agreed that they are often in the eviction process with a tenant who fails to mow the grass, and getting a court date can take up to three or four months. 

Mayor Jackson responded that three to four months without mowing the yard is unacceptable, no matter the circumstances.

One councilman asked a landlord if he would take this problem to an eviction of a tenant.

One landlord said, “I don’t mind the accountability. I inspect what I expect. We would have a firm discussion, and hopefully it wouldn’t come to eviction. But I would tell them other people want to rent that property.”

The conversation was constructive, with input from both landlords and council members. One key takeaway was the proposal to notify not only tenants but also landlords when violations are issued. Landlords agreed that earlier notification would likely lead to quicker resolutions and fewer repeat offenses. The city will now develop a program to notify both parties moving forward.

Councilman Mitch Magness also reminded attendees that these code violations are primarily complaint-driven, usually reported by neighbors and community members. He encouraged citizens to continue reporting violations when they see them. All complaints remain anonymous, and no names are shared with the offenders.

Mayor Jackson emphasized that while these discussions take time, they are valuable and effective. He hopes to host more of them in the future, bringing the public and local experts together to help shape solutions for the community.