City works to address compliance issues

By Staff
Melissa Cason
The Russellville Police Department is working to get the city cleaned up and in compliance with the city's ordinances pertaining to residences with junk and trash.
Police Chief Chris Hargett said each shift has an officer assigned to working compliance in order to help the full-time compliance officer get on top of compliance violations in the city.
"Officers are going to the homes where there are violations with city ordinances," Hargett said.
Hargett said it's important for residents to remember that yards must be maintained, and inoperable vehicles, furniture, clutter, or junk in yards is in violation of the ordinances.
Hargett said the new approach to compliance is going well, but there is still a lot of work to get done.
"Residents need to realize that failure to comply with city ordinances is against the law and arrests have been made in the past for not complying with city ordinances," Hargett said.
The yard ordinances specifically state that all grass must be maintained. There should be no inoperable vehicles in yards. Junk and clutter should not be in yards. Indoor furniture left outside should not be left outside.
The city has been working hard to clean the city up including clearing old, abandoned houses in the city.
Building Inspector Bill Fuller has had several condemned houses burned in the last few months as well.