Monrovia : Cleanup Drive Launched

To clean up its neighborhoods, Monrovia has launched a program south of Foothill Boulevard in which city code officers will search for violations rather than rely on complaints from neighbors.

The officers, who make about 300 inspections a month, will look for old cars or piles of junk that create eyesores or hazards, said Steve Cervantes, manager of the city’s building and housing division. He said most of the violators are absentee owners who don’t think the city has any regulatory power over their property.

Cervantes said the city will try to get the owner to cooperate voluntarily. If not, the city will go to court, and the owner can be fined. As a last resort, the City Council can declare the property a public nuisance.