DEARBORN HEIGHTS — The city is planning city wide sweeps to address blight and ordinance enforcement.

Mayor Bill Bazzi told The Arab American News that the city has been receiving several complaints about blight and ordinance enforcement throughout both the north and south ends of the city.

“These aren’t new complaints,” Bazzi said. “We are doing a city sweep one neighborhood at a time. I can’t speak on what happened or didn’t happen before, but when I hear about an issue, I’m going to try to take care of it and get it resolved for our residents.”

In a letter sent to residents, the city suggests residents walk their properties for areas of improvement.

“While most of us take the time and pride to ensure that animal droppings are picked-up, weeds removed, hedges clipped and transient rubbish picked-up, some of us periodically need a reminder,” the letter read. “Each spring, we should be walking around our property and structures on that property to ensure that everything is secure, safe and aesthetically acceptable. Make sure that you pay special attention to items that are most commonly overlooked in your area.”

The letter advised residents that in three weeks the ordinance department would be walking by houses to verify that the city is up to code.

“If a violation is found on your property, you will be issued a citation with fees and a possible court appearance,” the letter read. “I realize that some of us find ourselves a little overwhelmed with chores that have gotten away from us over the years and might need a little extra time to make sure that our property is up to code.

“Whether it be an abandoned flower bed, an old vehicle that should probably be donated, a run-down swing set or even a garage in need of a fresh coat of paint and some organizing, these tasks may take some time and expense. I can understand this and believe that three weeks is a sufficient amount of time for most of us to have a successful spring clean-up.”

While ordinance officers will not be entering residents’ backyards or invading their privacy, Bazzi said it’s important for all residents to do their part.

“All residents have to do their part in keeping the city looking good,” he said. “Some residents believe we are only focusing on one area, but we are doing the entire city. We have rodent issues and we are trying to take steps to correct that. Once we finish the first round, we will review and continue by identifying areas with repeat offenders.”

Bazzi also said taking care of a property is a matter of pride.

“Residents pay a lot of money in taxes and for their homes and expect their areas to look good and they deserve for their areas to look good,” he said. “We all need to be good neighbors to each other and work together to keep our city clean.”

More information on the city’s ordinances can be found at on the city’s website.