Snellville Code Enforcement cracks down on trashed properties

SNELLVILLE, Ga. (CBS46) - The city of Snellville wants property owners to clean up or pay up. For Chief Code Enforcement Officer Johnny Greene, not a day goes by without a little trash talk.

He’s issued multiple citations for the mess behind the Dollar Tree on Scenic Highway and still has nothing to show for it.

“They have been notified several times both corporate as well as property owner with no results,” Officer Johnny Greene with Snellville Police said.

It’s an eyesore that neighboring business owners are fed up with too.

Angel Jackson owns the I Get Juiced shop next door and said the trash is now attracting rodents.

“It’s not sanitary, it’s not healthy and it’s not good for business,” Jackson said.

It’s a similar scenario behind the Dollar General on Athens Highway.

“I understand if you have a retail store people are going to throw stuff in your parking lot, but nobody seems to want to clean it up,” Greene said.

Officer Green said change is coming. City council approved a measure giving code enforcement the power to have any property cleaned up by an independent contractor. After that, the city will bill the business and put a lien on the property until it is paid off.

“The citizens just get to the point that they don’t think their municipality is doing anything for them. This is where Snellville has stepped up the game holding people accountable regardless of what size if it’s a mom-and-pop business or a large corporation,” Greene said.

CBS46 reached out to the corporate offices for both Dollar General and Dollar Tree and was not able to get anyone on the phone. That said, Code Enforcement said plan to take action immediately and it could cost businesses thousands of dollars if they don’t clean up the trash themselves.

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