The City of Fairfield is preparing to send notices to hundreds of property owners whose vegetation in the public right-of-way is out of compliance with city code, with letters expected to go out in mid-October, City Engineer and Public Works Director Melanie Carlson announced at the September 14th City Council meeting. She also provided an update on the topic during a September 25th Community Dialogues video alongside Fairfield Mayor Connie Boyer, hosted by Werner Elmker.
At the September 14th City Council meeting, Carlson presented the results of a summer survey conducted by city intern Caroline Van Pelt, who combed through the entire city and found at least 457 clear violations of the city’s right-of-way vegetation ordinance — many of them flowers that had grown too tall around mailboxes. During the September 25th Community Dialogues update, Carlson put the number closer to 475. Either way, she said, “there’s a lot of them on the list and we’ll just keep working with property owners.”
During the September 25th Community Dialogues video, Carlson said she had initially hoped to get letters out in September to give residents a chance to transplant things before the ground freezes, but still needs to finalize some addresses. “I’ve been seeing a lot of these as I’m reviewing the work that was done — a lot of these are plants around somebody’s mailbox. They’re just trying to make the right-of-way look nice and I understand that,” she said.
City Attorney John Morrissey suggested the city prioritize violations at intersections and driveways first, where overgrown vegetation poses the greatest safety risk to drivers and pedestrians — noting that even focusing solely on those locations would still generate dozens of notices and likely keep the city busy for the rest of the year. Carlson agreed, saying intersections and driveways will be the top priority as letters begin going out.
The letters will give property owners until June 1st, 2027 to come into compliance. Required corrective actions include removing or relocating vegetation from the right-of-way, trimming vegetation to no more than 24 inches above the curb, and trimming any vegetation hanging over sidewalks to provide at least 6 feet 8 inches of unobstructed vertical clearance. The extended deadline reflects the city’s intent to work with property owners rather than against them. Each notice will include photographs of the specific area of concern and will be sent to the property owner of record according to Jefferson County property tax records.
Once corrective work is complete, property owners do not need to call the city but are encouraged to email photographs of the completed work to sford@fairfieldiowa.gov with the property address in the subject line. If a violation is not corrected by the deadline, the city may pursue further enforcement or nuisance-abatement action, which could include removal or trimming of the vegetation by the city. Property owners who believe a notice is inaccurate or need additional time may request a review or request to address the City Council — forms are available at cityoffairfieldiowa.com under Forms and Licensing, or at Fairfield City Hall at 118 South Main Street.
Carlson noted the safety motivation behind the enforcement effort. “I’m often the driver that’s having trouble seeing around these plants — and that’s one of the reasons why we have this ordinance in place,” she said. “Whether it’s a walker or somebody driving a smaller vehicle, we want them to be able to see over these plants and see the oncoming traffic whether they’re pulling out of a driveway or trying to turn on a corner.” Council member Bob Ferguson also noted he regularly hears from constituents asking when the city will address vegetation blocking line-of-sight.
Carlson said she has also been working on a list of lower-growing plants that would be good alternatives for decorating around mailboxes, such as annuals like moss rose and other low-growing ground covers that would stay within the 24-inch limit. City of Fairfield Mayor Connie Boyer also addressed a common sight throughout the city — brush that has grown up around the base of trees along the right-of-way. “People have let that just grow and it’s just nothing but brush,” Boyer said. “It provides maybe some kind of privacy for that owner, but it’s just dangerous for drivers. I’ve had people tell me that they don’t go down a certain corner because of it — they’ll turn a block before so they don’t have to deal with it.” Notifications will go out for that type of growth as well, though Carlson was clear the city is not asking everyone with an old-growth tree in the right-of-way to cut it down — the focus is on the brush and new growth around the base that creates visibility problems.
On the question of trees, Carlson said the enforcement is focused on shrubs and plants rather than healthy trees. The city will address volunteer growth around the base of trees that affects visibility and will ensure limbs do not interfere with pedestrians, but is not looking to remove healthy trees from the right-of-way. She cited trees on East Burlington as examples that would not require action from property owners. However, some trees along Sixth Street have drawn concern. “We started with clearing out the low growth around it and we’re going to kind of keep an eye on some of those intersections to see if that cuts down on some of the close calls,” Carlson said. “Some of those trees are not as healthy, not as straight, and we may have to remove those because they have been causing some traffic issues.”
The Fairfield Beautification Commission is partnering with the city on the enforcement effort and will include a transplanting guide in the notices going out to property owners. The guide walks residents through how to successfully move perennials and shrubs, including the best timing for transplanting, how to prepare a new planting site, and how to care for plants after the move. Plants most likely to move well include small shrubs, compact root systems, and clump-forming perennials. Residents are encouraged to transplant in early spring or early fall, when plants have four to six weeks to establish roots before the ground freezes. Before digging, residents must call 811 to have underground utilities marked. Carlson also noted that residents who have already taken care of their violation can simply let the city know.
The Beautification Commission has volunteers and equipment available to help residents who need hands-on assistance moving plants. “They’re kind of looking forward to this project because a lot of them are walkers as well and they’re excited to see the right-of-way get cleaned up,” Carlson said. Those who need help can contact Deborah Williamson at 641-919-1224 or info@fairfieldbeautificationcommission.org. Those with gardening or plant questions can contact Jefferson County Extension at 641-472-4166 or visit yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu. Questions about the notice itself can be directed to Melanie Carlson at 641-472-6193 ext. 5 or mcarlson@fairfieldiowa.gov.
