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•L <br />-, 7 T _. <br />July b, 1983 <br />Mr. Mike Gleason, <br />City Manager <br />777 Pearl St. <br />Eugene, OR 97401 <br />Mr, Gleason: <br />Attached is a copy of a notice I received apparently <br />from your Public Works - Maintenance Dept. warning me that <br />I should improve my property, i.e. cut back on shrubbery <br />and berry vines that "constitutes a safety and health <br />hazard." Further this notice says that if I do not do <br />so I will be fined $50.00/nour by the city of Eugene, <br />which would cut the shrubbery and berry vines. Because <br />I conscientiously maintain my property and, in the words <br />of a neighbor, maintain it in an "immaculate" manner, I <br />was surprised and angered. <br />I called your Public Works - Maintenance Dept. and <br />asked to talk to Ray Baker, who supposedly came out and <br />inspected my property. Because he was out I talked to <br />his assistant, Bob Mansfield, who agreed to meet me at <br />my home to explain hoar I could be in violation of a city <br />ordinance. On July 1 he met me at my home and admitted <br />that it was a petty accusation and suggested I throw <br />the notice away. <br />I would like to know why I was sent this notice at all. <br />I have been a property owner in Eugene for only nine months <br />and already I am subject to this kind of unnecessary harassment. <br />My neighbors suggest that this is a method of raising funds <br />for a city department hurt by a decreasing budget. But if this <br />is true it is no justification for mailing citizens notices <br />such as this threatening to punish them with a fine if they do <br />not comply. At most I was guilty of allowing shrubbery to <br />grow a few inches over the curb in a few areas. But this is <br />hardly creating a public hazard or preventing street sweeping. <br />I don't have berry vines on my land. When you are in this area <br />I invite you to drive by my property and see what your Public <br />Works - Maintenance Dept. is doing. <br />I am interested in making another investment in property <br />in the Eugene area in the next year, as I have in this duplex. <br />However, if I can expect this sort of treatment from a city <br />department I would like to be informed of it now. At a time <br />when the city of Eugene is trying to lure investors to this <br />area it may be wise not to mistreat those who are making <br />