In the Town of Salina and Mattydale, citations from Town Codes Enforcers are out of control and unnecessary. Residents and property owners are receiving multiple citations every month for "weeds,"  "overgrown grass," or "obnoxious" growth. This is unfair to residents who have disabilities who cannot care for their property and to residents who are trying to make the neighborhood a better place by planting native plants. Citations are enforced by the town and the cost of having them maintain your property is a hardship for many. The terms "weed" and "obnoxious" are also subjective to the person who is looking at the property. These terms have no legal standing. 

If the Town of Salina and Mattydale do not change their policies, many residents will continue to feel the monetary strain. Peoples with disabilities will continue to receive fines and may not be able to pay them, driving them into further unnecessary debt. People who plant native plants are subjected to financial hardship as well. If the Town of Salina and Mattydale change their policies regarding lawn maintenance, this will be beneficial to everyone who lives here. Native plants are not only edible, but often medicinal as well. There should be no punishment for residents who are trying to help not only the community, but the ecosystem at large. If these policies change, native and medicinal plants can become abundant and we can all eat and have access to medicines for free. 

Immediate action is needed to prevent unnecessary and unfair policies regarding the growth of native plants. The sooner the policy changes, the sooner we will all be able to plant native without fear of pushback from the Town.