Catching Up On Mowing

Wednesday, July 18th 2007, 5:00 pm

By: News On 6

Near record setting rainfall this summer has prompted a flood of complaints about tall grass. News On 6 anchor Craig Day reports crews hope to get as much done as they can before thousands of visitors come to town in August, when Tulsa hosts the PGA Championship.

Mowing in and around Green Country is a welcome sight. Crews are finally getting a break from constant rain, which has made Green Country really green, but has also made the grass really high.

"The biggest challenge really is the weather,â€ ODOT Maintenance Engineer Mike Smith said. â€œIt might be dry in one area of the city and we might get a rain shower that comes through and another area gets wet."

Mike Smith says in more than 35 years with ODOT he can't remember a July like this one. Often it's been too wet, too muddy and too dangerous for tractors.

"It just makes it difficult. If it could dry up we could really get some production," said Smith.

ODOT contracts out its mowing work, but has the flexibility in its budget to add more mowing crews, and is considering overtime for state workers to catch up. The city of Tulsa is in the same dilemma. A few years ago the city mowed medians and right of ways 10 times each summer, but in 2001 severe budget problems forced that to be scaled back. Tulsa now has a $550,000 mowing budget which is enough for just six mowing cycles.

"When you're only mowing six times a year any little bump in the road exacerbates what is already an existing problem," Paul Strizek with the City of Tulsa said.

The city says property owners are responsible for mowing all of the right of ways adjacent to their property. But the city doesn't force people to do it. Whatever isn't mowed the city will mow when they can get to it.

"When you put 35 days of rain in the past 40 days, or whatever it's been, we're in an almost impossible situation; however, it is our goal to get caught up prior to the PGA," Strizek said.

KRMG radio in Tulsa is coordinating a volunteer mowing brigade. If the city hasn't mowed the right of ways by July 28th, KRMG is asking volunteers to help. To get more information on the KRMG Mowing Brigade, click here.

Watch the video: Mowers Finally Out And About