Shadyside Mayor Mike Meintel reminds the community that the nuisance property ordinance that was recently passed will go into effect on Friday. (Photo by Gage Vota)

SHADYSIDE – Mayor Mike Meintel informed residents during Monday’s council meeting that the nuisance property ordinance that was recently passed will go into effect on Friday.

“​​I hope people know how serious we are about cleaning up this town. I mean, I can’t make it any clearer,” Meintel said. “We started out with a list of about 30 properties, and yesterday we went around and added 25 more.”

He said that notices will be sent out to the residents who need to clean their properties and they will have 10 days once receiving the notice to oblige.

If residents don’t comply after the 10 days then a $100 a day will be imposed until the property is cleaned up.

The ordinance will define what a nuisance property is while hoping to eliminate ‘junk’ in resident’s yards.

Meintel said that if his own sister is in violation of the new ordinance then he will absolutely order her to clean her property.

“I can’t make it any clearer, and it’s getting back to me that I’m going to have a lot of enemies or going to get sued. Well, you’re dealing with the wrong guy when you’re saying that. Okay, I got a real short Christmas card list,” Meintel said. “I’m going to do my job, it’s what I ran on, and we are cleaning up this town. So I hope people get the seriousness of it.”

Council member John Longwell stressed that the village is not targeting anyone or “out to get anyone” but just wants to clean up the village.

“We’re asking for help from people. Help, do your part and just clean up,” Longwell said. “Most of these properties that are in this list, two guys in a pickup truck can clean it up in a weekend. They’re not big tasks.”

Meintel added that he knows that the village has good people who take pride in their properties and it is unfair that some don’t.

“Everybody says the mayor ain’t having compassion. Bull, because you gotta give compassion to get compassion,’ he said. “Where’s the compassion for these people who’ve been living next to these crap holes for 20 years? Nobody’s apologizing to them. Nobody’s paying their taxes or anything. Where’s the compassion for them? So my compassion meter is pegged right now, it is what it is.”

Longwell added that the properties on the list are not impoverished – just irresponsible.

“There’s maybe one or two people that I would consider poor. I’d consider [some properties] filthy, maybe acting like pigs,” he said. “That’s pretty blunt, I guess, but they’re just irresponsible. And I think anybody on the list here for sure can clean up their properties with no problem.”

Meintel said that JB Green Team will be hosting its annual community clean up day on Saturday for Mead Township under the Moundsville Bridge on the Ohio side from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. He encouraged all residents to “do a little spring cleaning.”

Council voted unanimously in favor of sending the notices to the selected property owners by registered mail which will require a signature from the person receiving the notice.

Longwell said that registered mail costs roughly $10 to send but will allow the village to see when the resident signed the notice or if they flat out refused.

“The day they sign that letter will start that 10 day clock to have the properties cleaned,” Longwell said. “It also gives them time to either call the mayor or the village to make arrangements and come up with a game plan. So we’re again, we’re out to do this together with everybody. We’re not looking to fine everybody, although some fines are going to happen.”