Complaints up; mowing increased in Harrisburg

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[It is not clear why, but code-violation complaints in Harrisburg have risen this year.

Code Enforcement officer David Williams has investigated about 345 complaints so far this summer, including high grass, trash and debris and abandoned cars. Last summer, there were 361 complaints in all.

About one in four city code-violation investigations result in a cleanup, Williams said.

"This year we've been very busy," Williams said.

Tagging cars may have added to the overall workload this year, Williams said. Last year, he held off tagging cars until later in the season, but this year he has already tagged 121.

Mowing empty lots seems to be the biggest task this summer.

"The last two days I had 15 scheduled for mowing yesterday and 13 today," Williams said.

He actually mowed six -- the rest complied at the last minute.

Given that complaints and investigations are taking up more time this year, Williams is glad the city's recycling program was scrapped. The ill-fated recycling program took up most of Williams' time last year, he said.