Letter: Prairie City plagued by ‘accumulating junk and debris’

Published 10:36 am Tuesday, August 6, 2019

To the Editor:

Prairie City is plagued by residents who disrespect their neighbors, neighboring property values and the town in general by strewing their property with accumulating junk and debris, made worse by outright contemptuous neglect in managing vegetation overgrowth. As a behavior model it has socially degenerative consequences not different from that of urban graffiti — scientifically shown to worsen exponentially the longer it goes un-countered. “Un-countered” is the current status, argued on the basis that regulatory enforcement is procedurally costly with a net loss to our town. Prairie City Ordinance 8.05, drafted to correspond with state and county equivalents, does authorize (even mandate) remedial action against the offenders. Yet, the burden of enforcement is relegated to the city.

I’m anxious to have opinions of others on how might be countered such pathologically anti-social behavior that is costing the responsible citizenry financially and in livability.

Storie Mooser

Prairie City