PUEBLO — In 2016, 2017, and 2018, the amount of code violations in Pueblo per year by the month of June was more than 2,000. This year, the number of violations has jumped to 4,577. Nearly double what Pueblo had seen in the past three years. News5 looked into possible reasons behind this increase, and how it's being handled.
Frank Finn is a Pueblo native who maintains his lawn. However, he says not everyone in his neighborhood does the same. "Some of these people don't have pride today for cleaning their yards," said Finn.
Finn's home is right next to a property with overgrown weeds, and has called in a Code Violation complaint about it. "It makes it look like a slum, and I'm sorry to say that, but it does," said Finn.
Those with Pueblo Code Enforcement said there are many possible explanations for the increase. It could be the additional officers they added this year, and the proactive enforcement made possible because of them. They also suggested the weather seen in 2019 and an ordinance from 2018 regarding trash and litter removal could impact the numbers.
"It's still early in the summer months and call volume always increases throughout the summer. Officers are chasing those complaints and trying to answer to them as quickly as they possibly can," said Code Enforcement Manager for the Pueblo Police Department and the City of Pueblo, Karen Willson.
Just a reminder, if the weeds on your property are more than ten inches tall, it is a violation.
Code Enforcement personnel say complaints are answered in the order they are received, unless there is a serious safety concern, in which case it could be dealt with quicker.
