The Perry City Council approved the first reading of an amendment to the grass and weed ordinance Monday.

It will take two more readings before the change is official but the new ordinance states that all grass and weeds needs to be mowed to under eight inches by the first and third Wednesday of each month between April and October.

City Administrator Sven Peterson says currently the ordinance says grass and weeds can only be up to six inches long but enforcing the code is quite cumbersome.

“This really just streamlines the process.  That way we’re saving time mailing and checking and going back and forth.  Really just kind of help out not only our compliance department but also our parks department and cemetery department that actually go out and do the mowing.”

Residents who do not comply with the ordinance will have their lawns mowed by city crews and then assessed the cost of doing so.  Peterson says on average this amounts to around $75 per property.