Winnipeggers warned to keep their grass short or face fines

The City of Winnipeg is warning residents not to let the grass grow under their feet — at least not too long.

City bylaws call for turf grass to be no longer than 15 centimetres (six inches) and in the Waverley West neighbourhood there's been a crackdown on scofflaws.

Coun. Janice Lukes said her staff has been patrolling neighbourhoods to see if homes are compliant. Last week, they issued about 70 warnings.

"It's an education campaign, really," Lukes said.

Some residents "maybe they never had a home before, they've lived in apartments, aren't aware of this. So we warn and then hopefully they'll cut it," she said.

The city's complaint-based grass enforcement program gives residents 7-10 days after a warning to comply and cut it, or face a fine.

The amount of the fine is the cost of the labour it takes to cut and clean up the grass. The expense is added to the homeowner's property tax bill.

The city also has the option, under the Neighbourhood Liveability Bylaw to take a homeowner to court for a penalty to be determined by a judicial justice of the peace.

More than 600 warnings have been issued so far this year, based on 2,000 complaints. Fifty-five have been enforced by city staff.

"It's all about neighbourhood liveability in an urban environment," Lukes said. "Sometimes they're up to the waist, they're up to the shoulder, that's not acceptable in an urban environment."

Waverley West residents Leanne and Dan Granger agree but question why the city penalizes homeowners when some of the turf the municipality is responsible for goes unmanicured.

"If they can't cut their own grass and they're fining us to cut our grass, it's kind of [a] double standard," Dan Granger said.

Lukes said there are peak periods where the city may not be able to keep up with the amount of grass that must be cut.

The city is responsible for boulevards more than six metres (20 feet) wide. Homeowners are responsible for trimming the ones under that width.

'Why would you care?'

Other Winnipeggers would like the city to stay out of their turf.

Wolseley resident Marlena MacArthur said there are several overgrown lawns on her street — including her own.

"My next door neighbour has a garbage pile. [I] never complain about that. But certain people who are gardeners will complain about other people's grass," she said.

 "I'm not going to judge how someone grows their lawn. As long as they're maintaining it, not hurting anybody, why would you care?"

The Grangers said they would also never tell on their neighbours for breaking the grass bylaw, saying it only leads to pointless arguments.

"[You're] just causing trouble," Dan Granger said.

Daniel McIntyre Coun. Cindy Gilroy believes the bylaw should be revisited and possibly retooled.

A lot of residents like natural landscapes over manicured lawns because it protects biodiversity, she said, adding the city has bigger priorities on which to focus.

"Where I really want us to really put our efforts is around places that have a lot of garbage build up — vacant and derelict buildings," she said.

"I'm seeing a lot more vacant and derelict vehicles left in yards. They attract mice and all that stuff."