Because the deterioration of property and buildings, both private and
commercial, is a growing concern within the Town of Prentiss, the
mayor and board of aldermen have unanimously passed an amendment to
Ordinance 303 (property maintenance and community appearance
ordinance) which will establish minimum maintenance and upkeep
standards of residential and commercial properties.
“The board is amending our current ordiance to address several
situations which have arisen since its passage,” said Mayor Charley
Dumas. “Property owners will be notified if they are in violation.”
It will apply to all land, buildings, structures and uses located
within the corporate limits of the Town of Prentiss.
The Prentiss Police Department has been authorized to enforce the
provisions of the ordinance.
Any person who violates the provisions of this ordinance shall be
guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined not more than $100 per
offense or shall be imprisoned in jail for not more than 30 days or
shall be punished by both fine and imprisonment for each offense.
The existance of any of the following conditions are subject to fine.
This is only a portion of the amendemtn. A full copy can be viewed at
Prentiss City Hall.
•Fences and walls shall be free from loose or rotting materials and
shall have braces and supports attached or fastened.
•All residential properties may not have a cyclone or wooden fence no
more than 3.5 feet in height in front of the residence. Cyclone fences
cannot have privacy mesh strips in front of the residence. Fences
cannot obstruct utilities or right-of-ways.
•Swimming pools may not be located in front of or on the side of the
residence and  must be maintained at all times. Pools must be properly
fenced.
•Appliances and indoor furniture shall not be stored on a porch,
breezeway, or balcony if visible from the street.
•Broken or boarded up windows or window shutters that are damaged or
not secured properly.
•Rain gutters and down spouts that are rusted, sagging, or improperly fastened.
•A roof with missing or deteriorated roofing materials such that
repair o r replacement is required.
•Any garage door that is inoperable, broken, sagging, lacking paint or
missing visible parts or materials.
•Any driveway that is deteriorated, crumbling, weed-infested or lacks
adequate covering of asphalt, brick, or concrete, stone or gravel.
•Exterior walls that have exposed, rotten, or deteriorated materials.
•Screens on doors or windows that are torn or in need of repair or replacement.
•Stairs or railings affixed to the exterior of buildings that are in
need of repair or replacement.
•Excessive scaling, peeling or flaking paint. or excessive mildew or mold.
•Torn or ripped window awnings or damaged awnings on buildings.
•Damaged, rotted, or decayed mailboxes or mailbox posts.
•Scattered building or repair material in a yard or construction
debris and refuse remaining on property for 30 days.
•Auto parts, scrap metals and salvage items on property over 72 hours.
•Missing bricks on exterior walls and chimneys.
•Windows, doors, or building exteriors covered with aluminum foil,
cardboard, plywood, or plastic, except during construction or pending
permanent repairs.
•Discarded garbage, rubbish, refuse or recyclable items that have not
been collected within seven days of being deposited on the property
and that remain thereon.
•Oil, grease, paint, other petroleum products, hazardous materials,
volatile chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or waste.
•No person may occupy a building or house if the utilities are not connected.