Grass isn't supposed to be higher than 12 inches in the city of Wichita. But in some places, the city may be in violation. A new mowing contractor is trying to keep-up with the growing grass and weeds inside the city's storm drainage ditches. But some residents are noticing it’s falling behind.
From sun up, to sun down, even on the weekends, the city contractor is trying to catch-up on a mowing schedule that's now a week behind.
Steve Hedrick noticed the problem in Planeview a week ago. His front porch looks-out over a drainage ditch.
"Oh, it was mess. It was just an absolute overgrown mess,” Hedrick said.
By Friday, the city contractor had cut the grass. "Well, it looks good,” Hedrick said.
Hedrick asked FactFinder 12 to find-out what took the city so long.
"We have a new contractor that is learning the new locations and all the difficulties that go along with them,” city stormwater engineer Scott Lindebak said.
Lindebak says the new contractor is learning how to deal with poison ivy and steep slopes.
"We mow each drainage track six times a year,” Lindebak said.
The city contractor has to mow 150 drainage ditches about once a month. The mowing started in early April. But Hedrick says, after seeing how this spring went, the mowing dates might just have to change.
"They might need to modify their contract a little bit. So, that these people can start a little earlier on these warm winter times,” Hedrick said.
The city says the contractor should be caught-up by next Wednesday. If you notice a safety issue with tall grass and weeds, like blocking your view of the street, call (316) 268-4090.
