City ordinance would force property owners to clean graffiti

The writing is on the wall for graffiti artists. They might find their lives easier and more cost efficient if they save their drawings for paper, not private-owned or city-owned property.

McMinnville Police Chief Charlie Sewell began drafting a new ordinance that will deal with the problem of graffiti in the city around the time that more than 60 markings recently showed up along the Barren Fork Greenway. The incident, being treated as a felony, is estimated to have caused over $1,000 in damage.

According to the proposed graffiti ordinance, removal of the graffiti will be the responsibility of the person who committed the crime and must be completed in 24 hours. If the person is not caught, the property owners will be responsible for removal. They will have 10 days after being notified by the city.

?In law enforcement, one of the most important things we can do in fighting gangs who mark their territory is to remove the graffiti as soon as possible,? said Sewell in explaining the urgency of graffiti removal.

In the event the graffiti is not removed by the property owner, the city is authorized to remove the graffiti and the city will bill the owner for the cost.

The ordinance will be sent to the city?s legal counsel and then presented to the Safety Committee at that time. Fines, which are currently not stated, will be set by elected officials when the ordinance is officially presented to them.