Code Enforcement

Neighborhood Services Code Enforcement Officers (CEOs) are in the field on a daily basis.  They respond to calls of concern regarding specific properties and conduct neighborhood sweeps of areas on an "as needed" basis.  CEOs work directly with property owners and tenants with a goal of obtaining voluntary compliance to the city codes. 

Click here for application to Appeal to the Building Advisory Board. This application is used only when a code violation pertains to  the Property Maintenance Code, Chapter 31, of the Salina Municipal Code and an owner has been served notice of a violation.  

Common Violations

• Trash and debris: Accumulations of rubbish such as vehicle parts, open or closed containers of engine or transmission oil, appliances, discarded furniture and household items, trash, limbs and piles of yard waste not under active composting cannot be stored outdoors and must be properly disposed of.  Trash carts may be set out at the front curb the evening before scheduled pick-up and must be removed by the following evening.
• Uncontrolled Growth: Code regulates uncontrolled growth of grass and weeds on private property and the right-of-way adjoining it.   Notices will be issued for growth above 8 inches.  Kansas Statute provides that repeat violations in the same year do not require additional notice to the owner and allow cities to cut tall grass and weeds at the property owner's expense without further notice. See informational brochure for further details.    
• Inoperable Vehicles:  Salina Municipal Code, Property Maintenance Code, Chapter 31, Article IX, Inoperable Vehicles.
  Except as provided for in other regulations, no inoperable or unlicensed motor vehicle shall be parked, kept or stored on any premises, outside of a fully-enclosed garage or other building.  A vehicle is presumed inoperable if it is stored on jacks or is missing a part required for legal operation on the street or does not have a current license tag with a current registration sticker.  
  See informational brochure for further details.
• Clear Sight:  To ensure safety for pedestrians and vehicles, no signs, fences, shrubs or other objects over 3 feet high may be maintained in the clear sight zone of an intersection.  Contact the Neighborhood Services office for information about a specific site.
• Trees:  Owners are responsible for trimming any tree branches lower than 8 feet over sidewalks and 12 feet over alleys and streets.  Owners are also responsible for removing dead trees and limbs and maintaining trees and shrubs free from disease when their condition presents a harm or danger to the public.  Example: When a tree is diagnosed by a trained professional to be infected with Dutch Elm disease, the tree will be ordered to be removed and all debris properly disposed of to prevent further spread of the disease.  See diagram for trimming street trees.
• Illegal Parking on Private Property:  No vehicles, boats, trailer, or campers may be parked in any yard except upon a driveway or adjacent all-weather-surfaced parking area.   All new or enlarged parking areas shall be paved with asphalt or concrete unless specifically exempt.  All parking areas shall be kept free of potholes, weeds, dust, trash and debris. 
• Sidewalks:  The abutting property owner is responsible for keeping the sidewalk in good repair and clear of hazards such as snow, ice, mud, and other obstructions.   All snow and ice must be removed from abutting public sidewalks within 12 hours after the last snowfall.  
• Obstructing or Improper Use of Right-of-Way: Generally, the area between the sidewalk and the street is public right-of-way.   Corner lots have right-of-way along both sides of the corner.  Although right-of-way is public property, the adjoining property owner has a legal duty to maintain it.  Privately-placed landscape materials not exceeding 3 feet above adjacent street pavement, are permitted.  Bushes and sucker growth from street trees must be kept trimmed below 3 feet.  Parking any vehicle, trailer or storing private equipment or materials on the right-of-way is not legal.  Placing or constructing property improvements such as storage sheds or fences on the right of way is not legal and may be ordered to be removed at the owner's expense.  Signs such as, but not limited to, real estate, garage sale, or personal opinion signs are not allowed to be located in the right-of-way.  See diagram for use of right-of-way
• Alleys and Utility Easements: The area at the back of a lot, whether or not there is an alley, is usually subject to either public right-of-way or utility easements.  A utility easement is a legal agreement allowing use of private property for construction, maintenance and repair of systems to deliver power, water, telephone and television services.  The property owner has a legal duty to maintain to the center of any rear easement or right-of-way.  This includes keeping weeds and grass trimmed along alleyways and behind fences at the rear of a lot.  Any private fences, sheds or materials placed in a utility easement may be removed by a utility company without prior notice or compensation to the owner, if blocking access in an emergency.

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Common Concerns Not Covered By Code:

Written codes cannot anticipate or regulate every possible citizen concern.  Our community is made up of individuals whose circumstances or views may not always be in harmony with one another.  Many issues are best resolved privately, using tolerance, common sense, courtesy and by speaking constructively with your neighbor.  Offering to help a neighbor correct a common problem can often improve the situation.  Some issues are simply beyond the scope of existing Code.  Examples:

• Leaves, fruit or limbs falling onto my property from a neighbor's tree
• Outdoor toys or play equipment left on the lawn, unless unusable due to obvious breakage
• Out of season house decor; yard art
• Seasonal presence of insects, birds or animals not related to a correctible nuisance specifically listed in the Code.  Examples: box elder bugs, wild bee swarms, starlings flocking for migration, creatures associated with open fields or streams such as field mice, oppossums, muskrats or snakes.  The Animal Shelter, (785)826-6535, or the K-State Extension Office, (785)309-5850, may be able to provide assistance.