A Sterling resident’s frustration over getting letters from the city’s building and zoning department about a patch of weeds in front of his residence led to an explanation Monday night of when and how the city notifies residents of a nuisance issue.

“I moved back here 40 years ago and I’ve never had a problem. Now, all of a sudden, this year, here’s letter number two,” Bradley Popejoy Sr., who lives on East 16th Street in Sterling, told the Sterling City Council.

“I received a letter on the 7th of this month. It was dated June 2. It was about my nice, short weeds in my yard,” Popejoy said.

He said he received the letter on the last day that the city gave him to take care of the weeds. Popejoy gave the city a packet of photos that he took of other residences around the city.

“I took some pictures of some yards not far from me that have not been mowed all year, so I kind of feel singled out,” he said.

Popejoy added that his neighbor had received a letter from the Department of Building and Zoning about her grandson’s car with its tires on the curb.

“Guess what I saw on the way over here? A car that always parks on our street with its tires on the curb,” he said.

Popejoy said he felt like he and his neighbor are being targeted by the city.

“I wanted to bring it to your attention because I feel like I was singled out. It makes no sense. I don’t know why and I don’t care. All I care about is that other people are taken care of like I have been,” he said.

During staff reports, Sterling Building and Zoning Superintendent Amanda Schmidt said her office has a summer intern whose job it is to send out those letters.

“We do have a summer intern and that is the only thing she handles,” Schmidt said. “She sends out a lot of letters every day; it’s not a day that letters are not going out. We are not targeting anybody, we are not picking on anybody. If your grass or weeds are 8 inches tall, you get a letter. After five days, you can call and we’ll work with you.”

Schmidt said her office is working on getting very overgrown properties mowed.

“They are being sent to be mowed. They have to wait those five days, then we can send them to be mowed. They are being addressed but there is a process to it,” she said.

Schmidt said the city has had a large increase in the number of vehicles being parked off street in yards and in grassy areas.

“We’ve seen a huge increase in parking in the grass, whether it’s a trailer or a car. Parking not on a hard surface isn’t allowed by city code,” Schmidt said.

She emphasized that neither the department nor the department intern is targeting certain residents.

“She is a college student. She doesn’t know who you are or what your situation is. It’s not a target. We treat everybody the same, they get a letter. They get a notification,” Schmidt said.

Popejoy was not present for Schmidt’s comments, having left after addressing the council at the start of the meeting.