City Codes Want To Regulate The Height Of Your Dry Weeds And Dry Grass

If you live on property with dry weeds and dry grass you may soon have to get out the tape measure to see if you're in compliance with the city neighborhood conservation ordinance. Yakima City Codes Manager Joe Caruso says the city council is being asked to approve additions to the ordinance at the next meeting in September to help prevent wildfires. The proposed changes would regulate the height of weeds and dry grass to 12 inches. Anything over that would be considered a violation. "So now if anyone challenges it we have something in black and white that addresses hazardous vegetation which is strictly related to all the fires we're having."
Before the proposed changes code officials had no measurement to use to site people who had weeds growing that could lead to a wildfire. The city council is expected to vote on the issue at its September 19 meeting at city hall.