ORRVILLE — The town of Orrville made it mandatory for residents to upkeep their grass and lawns and asked for dogs that roam the streets to be restrained in several new ordinances passed at Monday’s Orrville Council meeting.

Orrville Mayor Louvenia Lumpkin asked the council to come up with a possible ordinance to make it mandatory for grass to be cut and lawns to be maintained because, “it can be a safety issue,” she said.

“When you are walking past these houses in the morning, you don’t know what is going to come out of that grass — so for safety reasons it needs to be cut,” Lumpkin said, while councilwoman Jewel Williamson drafted the proposed ordinance.

Council members discussed that in the past, the town has cut grass for residents if they did not cut it themselves for a fee of $25. But council members agreed, they would need the maintenance crew that would be cutting the grass for residents to give estimates.

“You would have to leave the fee part of [the ordinance] blank because every lot is different,” Councilman Herman Majors said, explaining some lots are bigger than others.

The new ordinance for lawn care, which passed unanimously, states that if residents do not cut their grass and have overgrown yards, they will be sent a notice. If owners, “do not adhere to this, it is ordained by the Town of Orrville that an estimate for the town maintenance crew performing this service,” would be sent to the residents.

This owner then has the option to pay the fee and allow the maintenance crews to cut the grass or they can proceed to handle the matter themselves, cutting their own grass.

Nothing in the ordinance states that the town has the authority to put a lien on a property, but Lumpkin said she wants residents to take the ordinance very seriously.

“This will send a message to [the property owners,]” Lumpkin said. “We aren’t just talking — we want people to cut their grass.”

The town proceeded to pass an ordinance banning dogs from, “running loose on the streets of Orrville,” the ordinance states. It will require all dogs to wear identification tags displaying the owner’s names as well as vaccination tags.

“If the dog is seen on the streets without being on a leash with the owner, the Dallas County Animal Control Agency will be called and the dog will be picked up and removed from town,” the ordinance reads.

This motion was passed unanimously by the council and will be further reviewed by the town’s attorney.