Standing in waist high weeds in front of an abandoned house, Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett on Wednesday unveiled a package of proposed city ordinances that are intended to address the growing problem of neglected vacant properties.

Bartlett said, “We can’t allow this kind of situation to occur”

Under Bartlett’s plan, which includes a Neglected Vacant Buildings Registry & Maintenance ordinance, property owners cited for violations would have to pay a fee to register their properties and provide contact information. In the case of absentee owners, a local contact would have to be provided.

The mayor did not explain how the new ordinance would make the people that own and neglect both their properties and existing ordinances comply with the new one but at least it sounded good during a speech in the heat of the day.

The mayor also did not explain what the city intends to do about waist high weeds growing on the city’s neglected medians and other properties. Apparently the City of Tulsa is exempt from the ordinances it wants to impose on other property owners.

Maybe there needs to be a Neglected City and Its Taxpayers Registry & Maintenance ordinance too.

Read it at Neglected properties targeted and wonder if the Mayor has been out in the heat too long…