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Consideration of a revised nuisance ordinance was the prime item on Norwood’s Town Council agenda Monday, with a public hearing on the matter conducted at the outset of the meeting.

Wesley Sherrill, a Lakehead Road resident, expressed concern with a number of items on the draft version of the code, the first of which was the proposed time frame for abatement of a nuisance once the property owner is notified.

“I believe that the 14 days allowed to eliminate the nuisance is too aggressive,” said Sherrill, who also expressed concern that salvage yards are not included in the ordinance, noting, “the salvage yard on U.S. 52 north of town” (Butch’s Scrap Metals) as an example of an area that should be addressed.

Sherrill’s major concern, however, involved property owners who have placed junk items from their own property onto the property of others, citing an example of such items having been placed on Duke Energy property, making the items Duke Energy’s responsibility to remove.

“Allowing this defeats the purpose of the ordinance,” he said, noting that the matter has taken two years to resolve.

Councilman Wes Hartsell agreed with Sherrill, and suggested citizens who place discarded items on another’s property be cited for trespassing.

Planning and Zoning Director Michael Sandy suggested an edit to the ordinance wording that the party who placed the discarded items on another’s property be responsible for removing it.

Hartsell expressed his support of the ordinance, stating it will address matters not covered by the existing ordinance.

“This revision will address items such as standing water, unmowed lots, abatement procedures and chronic violators, as well as the appeal process and enforcement personnel,” he said. “This will put more bite into it.”

Following the hearing, council members voted 4-0 (Mayor Linda Campbell was absent) to approve the ordinance with the recommended changes revised.