AVOCA — The borough council approved a motion to adopt an amendment to the International Property Maintenance Code at its monthly meeting on Thursday.

Council President John Boone said the motion is a new property maintenance code that gave the borough more jurisdiction to fine property owners for not only tall grass and weeds, but for also littered front yards.

The first violation will be a $100 fine, the second violation will be a $500 and the third violation will be $1,000. Each violation after the third will all result in $1,000 fines, each.

“This gets more into people having garbage in their yards or other kinds of junk in their yard,” Boone said. “This will really help us with issues like those.”

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Council members also approved the annual street sweeping agreement with DBI Services Inc. at a rate of $175 per hour with an eight-hour minimum, as well as authorizing Boone to be the signer of the agreement.

Street sweeping begin on April 27 on York Avenue as well as Main and McAlpine Streets. Parking restrictions will be in effect during that time.

In other business, council members:

• Purchased rubber mats for the West Avoca playground at a cost of $2,058.83 for 20 mats to be placed under slides and swings.

• Approved the payment of $1,575 to PennEastern Engineers for engineering and architect services toward the new borough building for the month of March.

• Approved payment to John Jadus to cut the grass along both side of the creek at West Avoca Park at $550 each for both sides.

By Jimmy Fisher

jfisher@timesleader.com

Reach Jimmy Fisher at 570-704-3972 or on Twitter @SD_JimmyFisher