Banner Image - Changing Our Culture of Property Maintenance

Improve the quality of structures and premises in Topeka Kansas so that structures and premises violations are the exception rather than the rule. Our number of substandard properties is never over 500. Owners are motivated to take care of properties before City Departments are even called.

  • Improve property condition​
  • Reduce substandard housing​
  • Motivate property owners to care for their properties​
  • Encourage investment in vacant and deteriorated properties
  • Reduce substandard structures by 50% in 5 years​
  • Reduce deterioration in vacant structures​
  • Reduce the expense/revenue gap on abatement cases by 50%​
  • Improve the perceived appearance of the neighborhoods​
  • Improve safety of neighborhoods by increasing the Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) to a 80% compliance rating​
Councilwomen Hiller and Valdivia-Alcala kicked off the Changing our Culture of Property Maintenance Initiative by hosting a series of public input sessions to hear directly from the community what their vision for property maintenance is. They, with staff, guided these sessions with the below PowerPoint and received the below feedback. From these sessions they worked to develop an aspirational goal, and four 2022-2026 goals, which was subsequently recommended 4-0 by the Public Health and Safety Committee on 11/18/21 and adopted by the City Council on a 10-0 vote on December 14, 2021. The goals have since been broken out into two different project tracks:
  1. Policy and Procedures
  2. Community Action
In partnership with the Greater Topeka Partnership, the policy and procedures track is being supported through an engagement with May8 Consulting to evaluate our current codes and processes. The community action team is being championed by Councilwoman Hiller and Valdivia-Alcala and will include initiatives such as a Mowing Initiative to help education and provide options for individuals to address overgrowth before code ever gets involved and facilitating community volunteer opportunities to help neighbors.
Great reasonably priced help can be found via social media such as Nextdoor and Facebook, as well as by directly asking neighbors, family and friends. To request assistance in finding a provider or volunteer to help with your mowing or vegetation, to offer to volunteer, or to learn more about the initiative, all are welcome to use the request form on the home page, or to call our assistance hotline at 785-368-9530.

Targeted Assistance

This initiative was especially developed for people who live in Neighborhood Improvement Association (NIA) areas and neighbors or others who would like to assist them. To find the NIA areas, please check the map of all of the NIAs, or visit the database on the city website and search an address.

Other Listed Partners

More Information

Please be advised that the mowing services listed have not been screened or investigated by the City for their background, suitability or competence regarding the company itself or the individuals employed by the company.  Utilizing one of the companies or individuals is done at the sole risk of the recipient of the service. Other groups are welcome to submit to become listed partners. For more information, call 785-368-9530.
An additional component to the Changing Our Culture of Property Maintenance Initiative focuses on neighbors helping neighbors through volunteerism.

Sign up to volunteer

Individuals, families, businesses, churches, organizations, and any neighbor wanting to get engaged with helping residents with mowing can sign up to volunteer through the United Way of Kaw Valley’s Topeka Volunteers portal or by contacting our assistance line at 785-368-9530.

Tell us what you did!!

Whether you’ve gone through our matching service or helped someone on your own, please let us know! Use the report form on this page or call the assistance line at 785-368-9530. Tell us how many mows you did! Send us photos! We want to celebrate how many people…like you…stepped up!

Request a volunteer

Individuals who are unable to pay for mowing services, or those who live outside of NIA areas in the City of Topeka limits, are able to request their lawn be mowed. The city, however, cannot guarantee a volunteer match, and is not responsible for vetting volunteers.

Changing Our Culture of Property Maintenance assistance line

To request a volunteer to mow your lawn, or to record your volunteer arrangement, call 785-368-9530.
To kick off year two of the Changing Our Culture of Property Maintenance Initiative, the city hosted a series of Public Information Sessions.

2023

  • Violation Notice Language for all has been softened and includes referrals
  • Hardship form and process established to relieve LMI owners with limited resources
  • Housing SOP updated, including written consent no longer required for inspections, cases now retained as open when tenants move, winter courtesy notices for exterior painting Nov-Feb now all say May 1 for action plans
  • Governing Body approved updates to the City of Topeka’s Retaliatory Eviction Ordinance
  • Completed the second year of the Summer Mowing Initiative with partners at the Gil Carter Initiative and Omni Circle
  • The city created a new Housing Navigator position to help connect those in need with available resources
  • Took a strategic approach to help fill vacant Property Maintenance Inspector positions
  • City staff developed robust resource guides and distributed city-wide
  • Topeka Municipal Court established minimum fees for Property Maintenance violations to address repeat offenders, created different avenues for those who are able and unable to repair issues
  • Check out more 2023 highlights here!

2022

  • City hires Karen Black with May8 consulting. After substantial input from the Governing Body and citizens, Karen created a final report of her findings and recommended action steps related to the initiative
  • Governing Body created and passed a new LLC Ordinance
  • Developed and completed the first year of the Summer Mowing Initiative with partners at the Gil Carter Initiative, Omni Circle and Tsquared Lawn Care
  • Hosted an end of season Community Celebration event at Evergy Plaza sponsored by Schendel Lawn and Landscape

2021

  • Changing our Culture of Property Maintenance Initiative approved by the Governing Body
  • A master plan was created for the initiative

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