Memphis City Councilman Berlin Boyd plans to put his mow-to-own program into action next month in order to combat blight in the city.
The program allows Memphians to gain ownership of abandon or neglected properties — which are adjoined to theirs and owned by the city or county — if they maintain the grass.
“Blight is a huge issue in our city, and it's one that needs to be tackled from a variety of different fronts,” said Boyd. “I thought the mow-to-own program was creative and it empowers people in neighborhoods to maintain the properties next to them and eventually acquire them.”
Participants will have to pay a $175 fee, but will get a $25 credit for each time they mow the lawn for three years or until they hit the credit max of $1,350.
“Persons with a vacant lot that adjoins their property are eligible to participate if they own and reside in a home,” Boyd said. “They would call the Shelby County Land Bank to determine if the vacant land is owned by the county or the city.”
Boyd also said that if the land is government owned, that individual could meet certain requirements to obtain the land.
“I pride myself on tackling this problem,” said Boyd. “Even though the program has not yet been implemented, the responses have been positive and people are eager to participate.”
Juaness Keplinger, Boyd’s staffer, agreed.
“I was probably the first person he talked with about this program,” said Keplinger. “In April, we had formed a committee to create the program. It is creative and we get calls from people everyday wanting to participate.”
Keplinger said that Boyd's initial plan was to have the program ready for the beginning of next year, but with all of the positive feedback that they have been receiving, they will be submitting a final form to the council this month, and the approval will take about six weeks.
“I am highly motivated. I think outside of the box, and I believe that this program will add a new tool in addressing vacant and blighted properties,” Boyd said. “I want to encourage people to buy some of these vacant properties outright and eventually own them in the process.”
Once acquired, the new owners could use the property for their own personal purposes, whether they want to enlarge or enhance their current residence.
“Eliminating blight is a huge goal that the government and everyone in the community needs to be a part of embracing,” Boyd said.
