City of Las Cruces Codes Enforcement officers spent part of their Tuesday morning, on April 6, pulling weeds and picking up trash along the property line of a 94-year-old Las Cruces man who – for no lack of effort – is simply unable to fully maintain his parcel of land.
About 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 6, eight Codes Enforcement officers gathered at the man’s home near the corner of Missouri Avenue and Ralph Drive. They spent more than 90 minutes and gathered two full-size truck loads of trash and debris. Much of the rubbish came from an overgrown cactus plant that adjoins the man’s property and attracts litter along the busy Missouri Avenue.
The 94-year-old homeowner, whose name is not being released to help protect his privacy, was extremely grateful for the services provided to him.
Codes Enforcement operates a Golden Shield program that utilizes volunteers to help clear trash and debris from properties owned by the elderly and those with disabilities that prevent them from maintaining their land. Unfortunately, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Golden Shield program has been inoperable for more than a year. A timeline for the reimplementation of the Golden Shield program has yet to be determined.
Las Cruces Codes Enforcement, part of the Las Cruces Police Department, is asking residents to remove weeds and overgrown vegetation from their property and along nearby sidewalks before rain, sunshine and warmer temperatures prompt more growth.
Weeds, small branches, cut vegetation, and other yard or green waste can be dumped at the Foothills Landfill, 555 S. Sonoma Ranch Boulevard. City residents can dump yard and green waste – free of charge – at the Foothills Landfill. Yard and green waste should never be placed in city recycling containers.
Yard waste collected by the City’s grappler service is composted and turned into mulch at the Foothills Landfill.
Questions and concerns about noxious weeds or overgrown properties can be directed to Las Cruces Codes Enforcement at 575/541-4100.