photo by: Carri Graham

Pease Township trustees talk as they, along with BTR Environmental, work to clean up the blight from a property on National Road in the township. Pictured from left are Trustees Roger Weaver, Mike Bianconi and David Horne.

Pease Township trustees are encouraging residents to clean up their unkempt properties or the township will do it for them, leaving the property owner with the bill.

Township Trustee Mike Bianconi said he and fellow trustees are working to improve the township one property at a time. The township has been sending out letters to homeowners with unkempt properties, whether the concern is high grass, dilapidated structures or litter on the property. In the last few years they have worked with around a dozen property owners to get things cleaned up — and most of them have complied.

“We’re trying to clean up the township. We try to be nice and work with people, but they have to work with us. … Once we bring it to their attention, so long as they show some progress we’re happy,” Bianconi said. “Our goal is to try and get the properties looking nice.”

Recently, the Belmont County land bank aided with the demolition of three dilapidated properties across the street from Riesbeck’s. And some property owners have also torn down blighted buildings at the request of the township.

Though they prefer to work with homeowners, Bianconi said they can only wait so long before action must be taken. That is just what happened to one property on National Road on Monday. Township trustees along with workers with BTR Environmental spent the day cleaning up garbage, old furniture, electronics and other items from the rental property, and they will continue to do so throughout the week. The owner refused to clean up the blight despite numerous letters and requests from the township, according to trustees.

Bianconi said they have warned the property owner and tenant since May that if they did not comply with the orders to remove the junk and tidy up the mess, the trustees would do it themselves, leading to a tax lien being placed on the property to repay the township for the cleanup costs.

Ohio Revised Code, Sections 505.87 and 505.871, permits townships to take action should a property owner not comply with a cleanup order and then assess costs of the cleanup as a tax lien on the property.

Neither the property owner nor tenant were home at the time of the cleanup process, but trustees said they were aware of the situation.

Pease Township Police Chief Darby Copeland said officers prefer to work collaboratively with the property owners to resolve such issues, but the township will take action if the property owner is unwilling to do so.

Bianconi said this is the first time they have taken the action of hiring a company to clean up a property. He said they would prefer not to have to do this but felt the need due to the worsening condition of the property, which was filled with a range of items.

Bianconi challenges residents to strive for a better looking community. He urges residents to keep their grass cut and remove litter and junk from their properties.

“I challenge them to make their property exceptional. … I’m not saying to do it overnight but make it a goal,” he said.

Officials are eyeing other properties throughout the township, he said, hoping to continue efforts to clean up the blight.