Code Enforcement Tickets For Weed Vegetation Drop By Nearly 50 Percent
Documents show a noticeable decrease in fines last month
By Kevin Gosztola
Tickets issued by Elmwood Park code enforcement for weed vegetation—or “high weeds and grass”—dropped by nearly 50 percent last month.
Code enforcement issued 77 fines of $50 or more. Still, when compared to the same month last year, the number of fines was considerably higher. July 2024 saw officers write 47 tickets.
If fully paid, the village will bring in $2,900 for weed vegetation or high weeds and grass violations.
The numbers come from records that were obtained from the Village of Elmwood Park through the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.
According to a “violation summary” for July 2024, the tickets issued totaled $3,300, and the village still has $1,450 in unpaid fines.
Here’s the map of addresses that were ticketed for weeds or high weeds and grass in June 2025:
Here’s a map of addresses that were ticketed for weeds or high weeds and grass in July 2025:
The number of fines issued for properties in the northern part of Elmwood Park last July was much lower than the previous month of June.
Below is the map of tickets issued in July 2024. When compared, the same number of fines were issued in July 2025 for properties in the southern part of Elmwood Park. In the northern part of Elmwood Park, the number of fines was higher in July 2025.
According to the Elmwood Park village code, it is “illegal for the owners of real estate in the Village to refuse or neglect to cut grass and weeds when such grass and weeds shall have reached a height in excess of eight inches.”
The Elmwood Park Advocate took an interest in weeds or high weeds and grass citations after Village President Angelo “Skip” Saviano sent a letter in mid-June that reminded Elmwood Park residents to maintain their yards in the front and the back of their homes.
“It’s important that all vegetation be well kept on your property. This means keeping your grass regularly cut, weeds pulled or cut back, and bushes and trees trimmed,” Saviano stated. “It is important that this work be done in front of the home, as well as in the alley. All vegetation must be trimmed back to your lot line.”
As the newsletter’s reporting showed, by the time that Saviano sent out this notice the Elmwood Park Code Department had already ramped up inspections. There were even a few residents, who believed that they were unfairly ticketed in June.
A Note About the Documents Provided Under FOIA
The records provided to the Elmwood Park Advocate in July, which showed fines issued in June, contained the balance that each violator owed and whether each violator had paid the fine. Records even indicated if the violator was a business. But this time around Village Clerk Gina Pesko withheld those details when fulfilling the newsletter’s FOIA request.
As a result, it is not possible for the Elmwood Park Advocate to explain something peculiar related to the fines—that the amount owed to the village in July 2024 was higher than July 2025, but significantly fewer tickets were issued in July 2024 than July 2025.
Evidently, one or more properties received rather hefty fines for not following the code. But in an effort to make the process of protecting the privacy of non-business property owners more efficient, the village was inadvertently less transparent.
Next “Community Conversation” is This Weekend - August 16, 1 p.m.
The Elmwood Park Advocate holds its third "Community Conversation" in the Ferrentino Meeting Room at the Elmwood Park Public Library.
We'll discuss traffic safety in Elmwood Park and offer residents a chance to vent their frustration about driving in the village and traffic regulations that could be improved.
Join us, and if you would like, you may RSVP here.