With spring in the air and temperatures heading up the thermometer, many Enon residents will be out and about in the community again. The quite winter streets and sidewalks will be filled with walkers, joggers and children playing. It is also a time when Village Administrator Benjamin Ross would like to remind residents of some of the ordinances that are in place within the Village limits.

Walking your dog is a fun experience for both owner and pets. You need to be a responsible owner by having a little bag with you to pick up any deposits made on property that is public or private. As you walk along, your pet is sure to find it necessary to make a deposit and it is your job to clean it up.

As responsible pet owners, the Ohio Revised Code requires that you do not permit your animals to run loose. Keep your dogs confined to your yard with a fence or suitable restraint system. Any animals found running loose is in violation of ORC 955.22 and the owners can be found guilty of fourth degree misdemeanor under ORC 951.99

Within the Village limits, keeping animals or fowl is not permitted. Under code 505.08 Nuisance Conditions, the noxious or offensive odors or unsanitary conditions which are a menace to the health, comfort or safety of the public is prohibited.

While you are out taking care of winter damage around your property, you should note that it is your job to keep the sidewalks clean and in good repair in the Village of Enon. Even if you are renting, it is your responsibility not to have leaves and other garden waste on the sidewalks or in the gutters.

The long winter months and windy conditions of spring often bring litter onto properties. Residents are not permitted to deposit litter on any public or private property that they do not own. It is a great time to do some clean up in the neighborhood and help out any elderly neighbors who many not be able to take care of some of the outside cleanup.

Liter is defined as such things as beverage containers, food wrappers, dumping of ashtrays, boxes, paper, and other garbage items that one would normally toss in a trash receptacle. Keeping the community clean is up to all of the people living, working and traveling through the area.

Cleaning up after projects on your property is a must in the Village. Certain materials are declared a nuisance in the Village of Enon. You cannot store or allow items such as building materials, motor vehicles that are inoperable or motor vehicles that are unfit for future use to be left on your property. This applies to renters as well. Auto parts, scrap metal and trash are not allowed on any properties in the Village limits.

If you own a home or a rental property, you must inspect the structures to assure that they are meeting Code 1331.13 Minimum Maintenance Standards. All exterior surfaces including foundations, walls, roofs and others must be maintained and repaired. Rodents and other wildlife along with stray cats must be unable to find entrance into the structures. Conditions must be maintained to also keep rain and other weather from entering the structure.

For businesses, marquees, signs, metal awnings, stairways, fire escapes, standpipes, exhaust ducts and similar overhead extensions must be maintained in good repair and must be securely anchored to the building assuring safety.

If a building is not boarded up, the glass must be in place for windows, doors and other such openings. If you elect to board up a vacant structure, the wood must be painted to match the building.

All properties must keep the exterior clean and the property mowed during the summer months. Proper trash containers are also required for all properties.

If a structure is vacant or an area of land is vacant, they must be maintained in the same clean, safe and sanitary conditions of properties that are in use for homes, businesses or storage. One of the goals is to keep the community looking good and to keep vandals from entering the vacant structures.

Working together as a community keeps Enon one of the little gems of western Clark County. If you have questions regarding the Village ordinances and zoning regulations, you can contact the Government Center offices at 864-7870.