Yard Inspections 2024

Clean and clear yards/garden beds to avoid an inspection fee.

Yard Inspections

Starting May 13, 2024

Yard inspections will start the week following the bi-annual clean-up. The inspection will check to ensure all residents are keeping their household yard/garden beds neat and weed-free. Maintaining clean and clear yards/gardens is on-going requirement to fulfill throughout growing season, typically April to October.

Please follow the guidelines below to ensure you do not receive a yard fee (of the Clutter and Debris Responsibility) during the inspection, which can apply to each infraction (such a fee per each unmaintained garden bed of your unit).

Check front and back door for notification, provided after your yard inspection if your there was something found needing correction.

1. Remove all weeds from your front and back gardens

All 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom units must keep their gardens maintained in a neat and weed free manner. This also applies to one-bedroom units, which share the responsibility with the building.

Borrow tools, such as hoes and rakes, from the office or a Community Garden Plot site.
Fast and Easy Weeding Tips
Is this plant a weed?
Remove weeds that are on Minnesota Noxious Weed List .
Additional weed identification: U of MN Extension .

2. Collect weeds in preparation for disposal

Bags makes it easier to dispose of the weeds later, as well as to avoid the weeds re-rooting themselves again in your garden.
~~NO bags can be put into the compost; bags or other containers only used as carriers to dump the weeds into the compost bins, as outlined in next step.~~

3. Drop weeds into the compost bins located at the community garden sites

Dump bag in compost bin at one of five community garden plot locations.
Do not place bag or carrying device into the compost bin
What can be put into CTC's compost? What cann ot?

CTC Compost Bin Reminder:

Our co-op’s compost bins are closed until further notice. During this time, the bins are only accepting plant debris/trimmings (grass, garden weeds, leaves, small twigs).

Please do not discard anything other than plant trimmings into the bins while closed (especially NO household food scraps!). Visit umnctc.org/compost for full details and updates.

4. Clear and organize the remainder of your yard

In addition to removing and properly disposing all the weeds in your gardens, complete the following to ensure you fully pass the inspection:

Organize storage shed: place all items inside, remove items from top of shed
Remove and/or dispose of non-yard items (i.e. indoor chairs, sofas, microwaves, T.V.s, interior tables etc.)
Pick up trash: clean yard area free of garbage
Clear lawn area for mowers: be sure to move unused yard items (bikes, tables, chairs, grills) free of the lawn area for the mowers to pass all grass areas front and back

Continuously Keep Outdoor Spaces Tidy

Responsibility for All Units + All Year

Eliminating all yard and outdoor clutter is an on-going requirement for all residents to fulfill year-round, per CTC's Clutter + Debris Policy. In which case, Yard Inspections can occur at any time throughout the season without notice; thus, continuously keep yard spaces neat and tidy to avoid incurring violation fees.

Unit Garden Bed/Planter Policy

2020 Update

Please see updated planting policy for 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units.

Claim "Tagged" Items by Deadline

Tagging for "Claim Day"

Write Name and Address on Tags Historically in the late summer or fall, there will be a "Claim Day" throughout the co-op grounds as a way for CTC to determine which outdoor items belong to individuals that no longer live at CTC/or are no longer desired by current CTC residents. CTC Maintenance will tag personal belongings in public spaces with a tie tag. Items that will be tagged include bikes, grills and toys near or on bike racks around one bedroom buildings and near the Phase IV buildings. No items directly behind two bedroom splits or phase IV will be tagged.

If anything you own has a tag on it, go write your name and address on the tag and leave the tag on until the provided deadline (announced with event). If no tag is placed on any of your possessions at all within the claiming period, then your object is safe and will not be removed.