Milford beautification staff to focus April enforcement on yards, junk and vehicle storage

Administrator Lisa Thompson told the Milford Beautification Committee on April 10 that the committee’s April enforcement focus will be on overgrown yards, accumulation of junk and improper outdoor storage of vehicles.

"I ended up mailing out 8 courtesy letters to residents just for parking issues," Thompson said, adding that some residents have already addressed the problems. She asked committee members to conduct property reviews and return completed forms by April 17 so staff can mail enforcement letters by April 20, which she said would give residents until May 12 to correct violations.

Thompson outlined the visible scope of enforcement: "If they are abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, and they're out on the property, we don't do anything with the backyards. It's just what you can see from the street." She said staff will not check vehicle registration as part of these visible inspections and urged members to use their judgment about active repairs.

Committee members agreed to submit photos with the forms when possible. Thompson said she had included the relevant code references in the packet and that she would reference those codes when generating letters.

Members also raised several specific follow-up locations for inspection, including a property near Virginia Jones and houses connected with Richard Bradshaw; Thompson said she had previously notified a staff member (Aaron) who had worked to address similar properties.

The committee’s outreach includes a Facebook flyer and mailed notices to inform residents of the spring cleanup and the April focus. Thompson said the combined outreach and the letter schedule aim to give residents a clear timeline for correction before formal enforcement steps.