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Taxpayer: City Wasting Money Mowing Dead Grass

Many of us may have already put the mower away for the season. But mowing of public areas across the city has continued and one taxpayer says the city is wasting money for nothing.

Posted: 2:21 PM Aug 6, 2012
Reporter: Roger Hamer

City Mowing

Many of us may have already put the mower away for the season.

But mowing of public areas across the city has continued and one taxpayer says the city is wasting money for nothing.

Cathy Waterman couldn't believe her eyes.

"I was snapping pictures of them because I thought it was kind of ridiculous," she said.

A city crew came by last week and mowed a stretch of ground between the North Freeway and 28th Street.

But there's no grass here.

"It hasn't grown in over a month," Cathy said. "There's not really anything green...its dead. They were leaving trash everywhere the side walks were looking trashy, We were having to pick up after them, sweep up after them."

Cathy says mowing is a waste of tax dollars.

"They're just spending money where it doesn't need to be spent."

The city mows public areas from April through October.

Much of the work throughout the city is done by four contractors. They have just been honoring the contract even though the area is under severe drought conditions.

The city's contract allows for the addition or subtraction of mowing based on conditions.

The mowing of public areas has gone on as scheduled not because of grass but concern over weeds. While many areas may look dead, weeds have flourished even as the drought continues.

Cathy sees other problems the mowing has created.

"The ground's already as dry as it is so they're just tearing up the roots and pulling everything out so your going to have all these bare patches everywhere," she said.

Cathy says she watched as one worker picked up a medium sized branch and tossed it into the street.

"It made me upset watching him get off his mower, pick it up throw it down in the street and then take off," she said. "It's like he didn't care."

Cathy wants the city to be a little more selective when spending her tax dollars.

"They need to monitor it a little better take care of it when it actually needs taking care of not tear it up with their mowers," she said.

The city decided late Monday afternoon to discontinue mowing operations of public areas from August 16th through the end of the month due to the dry conditions.