Tall grass a concern at Himbola Apartments in Lafayette
LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) -- The management at Lafayette's Himbola Apartments has been warned.
City Councilman Patrick Lewis says the city has mailed notices to the owners to cut the tall grass.
Located on Martin Luther King Drive, the complex sits in the heart of Lewis' district.
He says after an on-site visit, he immediately requested city officials to come out and inspect the property.
Lewis says inside the leasing office one staff member told him they were waiting to hear from property management about hiring someone to cut the grass.
"What they're saying is that it's raining and I told them it is raining, but it doesn't rain every hour of the day. Send somebody out there and cut it."
Lewis says the Office of Environmental Quality did an inspection and found the complaints legitimate and filed violation notices.
He says if they fail to comply, the city will eventually have to cut the grass and the bill will be handed back to Himbola.
"If they do not pay there's interest, there's penalties and an automatic $250 fine to record that," the councilman stated.
Some residents complain the tall grass has become a sanctuary for rodents and snakes.
Lewis says they have a right to be concerned, and he is too.
However, he says, the city has to give the apartment complex a chance to comply to the mailed notices.
"The process is being taken care of right now but while the process is being taken care of the grass is still growing."