Grass Ordinance and Other Spring Reminders April 27, 2017—Olean—Snow has melted; temperatures are rising; trees are budding and grass is growing. William J. Aiello, Mayor of the City of Olean, would like to remind residents about City policies and ordinances that take effect each spring.
The grass ordinance (Sec. 16-2) is in effect from May 1 until October 15. It states that the grass shall not exceed eight inches in height. The City’s Code Enforcement Office has the authority to enforce this ordinance and will notify the owner in the event of a violation. In addition clippings and other yard wastes are not to be disposed of in the street. The City’s lawmakers barred yard debris from the street because it fills the storm sewer system and may lead to localized backups and possible flooding of the streets.
To help residents dispose of clippings, leaves and small limbs, the City does offer a curb side yard waste pick-up on the last Wednesday of each month from April to September. Yard waste must be in brown paper bags or containers no larger than thirty pounds; plastic bags are not permitted. Brush and limbs must be bundled together, no larger than three feet by eighteen inches and secured by twine or rope, wire is not acceptable.
Littering is not acceptable in the City of Olean, Sec. 20-8 of the Code of Ordinances says, "It shall be unlawful for any person to place, throw, or deposit or cause to be placed, thrown, or deposited any waste upon any sidewalk, subway, street, alley, lane, gutter or any public ground in the City or into any stream or upon the banks of any stream running through or adjacent to the city." "The City of Olean Neighborhood Preservation Committee and many other volunteer groups have been very busy cleaning the litter that was left behind when the snow melted," Mayor Aiello said. "These volunteer groups have a very positive effect on our City and work hard to rid the City of litter. On behalf of the City of Olean, I would like to thank them, for their time and for their determination to keep our beautiful city clean."
"But it is not easy work," Mayor Aiello continued. "I worked with one group this past weekend on North Union Street. It is a lot of work to keep a street clean, and a major part of our litter problem is something very small—cigarette butts. They are very easy to flick out of a hand—but are very difficult for a volunteer to pick-up and throw-away."
"A couple of North Union Street businesses have put ashtrays outside their establishments and I am very appreciative of their efforts," Mayor Aiello added. "But I want to remind smokers, that it is their responsibility to find a proper place to discard cigarette butts. Please let’s all work together to keep our City beautiful this summer."
