Nobleboro voters approved a new property maintenance ordinance at referendum June 10 but not by a large margin: 122 yes votes to 100 no.
The listed purpose of the ordinance is “to set a minimum standard for the maintenance of the grounds of property, as seen from the public way, in order to protect Nobleboro residents from unsanitary, unsafe, and/or nuisance conditions.”
The ordinance requires property to be kept free of “unsafe or unsanitary conditions” or face daily fines ranging from $100 to $2,500, but provisions are included in the ordinance for certain items to be screened from view of a public way in order for those items to remain on the property.
Nobleboro Code Enforcement Officer Stanley Waltz said previously he will try to let property owners know of a violation and give them time to address it before they are given an official notice of violation.
Violators would have 30 days after receiving an official notice to correct the issue, or a maximum of seven days for a health or safety violation as determined by the code enforcement officer. The officer would have the ability to grant one special extension per incident of up to 180 days for hardship or extenuating circumstances.
