The city of Oregon is going to stop mowing the rights-of-way along agricultural properties in the city, placing the responsibility of the upkeep back on property owners to save costs.

Despite the city’s zoning code requiring all property owners to mow their respective rights-of-way, the city started mowing along agricultural areas years ago as part of its beautification policy.

“There were property owners who were not doing it and the grass and weeds were getting pretty overgrown,”  Joel Mazur, city administrator, said. 

At a recent Drainage, Roads, Buildings, and Lands committee meeting, members were split on whether to enforce the code to make all property owners responsible for mowing their own rights-of-way.

Councilman Paul Drake III, chairman of the committee, supports the continuation of roadside mowing by the city along farm fields.

“I think it’s nice to have a finish mower, like the city has, where they mow it nice and smooth. “It’s nice when you drive into a city, and the grass is mowed,” he said.

Councilman Kathy Pollauf disagreed.

“Keep the code as it is now, just make everyone be responsible for cutting. I’m on a busy road and we cut all the way to the street,” Ms. Pollauf said. “If I do it, why can’t everyone else?”

“I am a big advocate of the city not cutting the right-of-way,” Councilman Terry Reeves said. “We do want to make sure our property looks well. I cut my own right-of-way. Most people in subdivisions cut their own right-of-way. It could be a hassle due to the acreage of some lands. I’m not picking on our farmers. God knows we need them. But the property owners need to maintain the right-of-way.”

If a property owner fails to cut weeds after being notified, the city will cut the grass, then put that on the property assessment so that the city would recover any costs related to providing that service, Steve Shrake, zoning inspector, said.

“It’s intended to get the property owner to do it themselves, which is most likely much cheaper. Having the city do it is typically like a penalty,” Mr. Shrake said. “If the owner chooses not to, then it’s the city’s obligation to abate the nuisance and do the cutting themselves.”

“In years past, prior to the property maintenance code, it was just expected property owners would cut their frontage — and they just did it,” Public Service Director Paul Roman said. “It just didn’t seem right that those of us would cut our own right-of-way, and our income tax would go toward paying for someone who doesn’t.”

Some area communities require everyone to mow their own rights-of-way, without exception.

“We don’t have an ordinance specifically spelling out responsibilities, but if we do have an issue, we will send a notice to property owners and they will have to address the problem,” Northwood city administrator Kevin Laughlin said. “If it’s still not done, the city will mow it and assess the costs to the property owners.”

It’s the same in Sylvania. Tim Burns, zoning inspector, said the city requires property owners to mow their own rights-of-way.

“We don’t quite have the big elaborate rights-of-way frontage like Oregon. But we do have rights-of-way mowing requirements of property owners,” Mr. Burns said. “The rights-of-way provide public access to transportation and utilities. It’s still owned by the property owner. It’s their responsibility.”

Jerusalem Township will mow the right-of-way along farm fields, said Township trustee Alex Lytten. “ If it looks like the rights-of-way are overgrown along farm fields, the township will take care of it,” he said. “Technically, the farmer owns it, but we’ll mow it anyway.”

First Published February 23, 2025, 7:05 p.m.