Westminster considers property maintenance code

Westminster leaders got serious last night during a special meeting on the problem of blight inside the city limits.  They discussed a suggested four-page ordinance that would cover commercial and residential properties and heard their city attorney, Derek Enderlin, say criminal penalties would be possible against those property owners who refuse to mow lawns, pull up weeds, repair broken windows, and the like.  Last night’s discussions ended with a consensus to introduce the ordinance at a regular meeting, to be followed by invitations to property owners to attend a public meeting for education purposes about the need for the city to look its best.  To what extent Westminster should enforce property maintenance was part of last night’s considerations.  Councilman Yousef Mefleh says the city’s rules should be applied equally from one end of the city to the other, while Councilwoman Susan Ramey said the city should go about solving the problem “a little at a time” and apply a common sense approach when it comes to telling people what they should do with their property for the betterment of all.  Mayor Brian Ramey said he thinks most property owners are willingly to comply with what the city wants to accomplish.