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l . property at 2542 Kenzie. Extended do-it-yourself projects also contribute to this problem, although, when finished, these projects tend to improve the neighborhood. The annual City clean-up day is the definitive solution to this problem and, while I was able to get a fair amount of stuff out of the yards this year, next year I'll be able to be more aggressive and expand my efforts. In any case, this problem tends to be chronic and so we're keeping an eye on them and looking for solutions. Lawn Cover: During this past growing season, I have sent only one letter regarding long grass. The primary reasons people occasionally have long grass in their yards are vacations and illness. Consequently, it's essentially a self- correcting problem. Although dandelions are not prohibited, I have talked to a couple of homeowners with a gentle suggestion to reclaim control over their yards. I have also confronted a couple of homeowners about dumping their grass clippings (not blowing, dumping) into the street. An interesting trend in the metro area is the conversion of yards from grass to natural habitat and wild flowers. I have received one complaint regarding the height of some of this natural grass, but most folks seem to enjoy the diversity. Public Right-of-Way: For the sake of enlightenment, I want to explain the concept of right-of-way. The public domain gets 60' along any street in St. Anthony. Consequently, the right-of-way is measured 30' from the centerline of that street. Our residential side streets are 30' wide which gives the City 15' of right-of-way from the curb to the property line. The main roads (Silver Lake Rd., Stinson, 37th, 33rd, etc.) are different widths, however, and so the distance from the curb to the property line is less than 15'. On Silver Lake Road, this distance varies from about 6' to about 12' and along 29th Ave. the distance changes along every parking area. Along alleys, the public domain gets 20' of right-of-way and so property lines are measured 10' from the centerline. We have been using the actual right-of-way measurments in enforcing sign placement rather than the arbitrary 15' rule. Conclusion: It's been an interesting year. I'm still sold on the idea of talking with people (both the complainers and the violaters) to work out solutions, although I often find myself playing referee in neighborhood fueds. On rare occasions I have to play tough, but for the most part, citizens are willing to comply and seem grateful for the gentle approach. This is reflected in the number of complaints received by City Hall since we took over code enforcement. I would also like to remind the Council that our recent city survey indicated that 10% of respondents felt that code enforcement was too lax, and 90% felt otherwise.