Why would anyone allow the grass in his lawn to grow up to 12 inches without mowing it?

Why do people leave junked cars on their property or sofas out on their front porches for months, even years?

Members of the Salisbury Neighborhood Improvement Task Force scratched their heads Wednesday over the whys behind nagging eyesores that pester areas throughout the city.

Wilmington consultant Glenn Harbeck, who leads the group through its monthly paces, called these appearance matters “slippery.” Sometimes, he said, they don’t lend themselves to city policies or ordinances.

The task force members broke into small groups Wednesday to take on specific appearance problems. Looking for the root causes, they often decided that people simply lack pride, don’t care, aren’t aware that they’re creating a problem or don’t know the procedure for taking care of something such as a junked car.

With junked cars or used indoor furniture on porches, it could even be a financial issue. Residents may feel they can’t afford to find someone to get rid of a car or making a trip to the landfill.

Others may look at their junked cars as repairable once they have some extra money, or they need the indoor furniture on the porch because they can’t afford anything else.

Public Services Director Vernon Sherrill said his department rids neighborhoods of up to 200 junked cars a year.

City Manager David Treme suggested, as did other groups on other appearance issues, that the city develop a brochure that explains existing ordinances on junked cars and describes how owners can get rid of them.

Salvage yards or charitable organizations often look for junked cars, offering to tow them away at no expense or even at a monetary gain for the owner.

Members of the task force also recommended that the city hold a junk car day or week every year in which the city will tow away cars for residents.

It would mimic the annual spring and fall cleanup weeks during which the city takes care of used appliances.

The task force suggested looking at an ordinance, much like one in Spencer, that would prohibit indoor furniture on outside porches.

The city also could try public service announcements on radio and in the newspaper or suggest that landlords incorporate into their leases a prohibition against indoor furniture being used outside, members suggested.

Repeat offenders represent the biggest problem on overgrown and unkempt yards in the city, Sherrill said. Treme said the city might have to pass stiffer civil penalties to use against properties the city routinely has to clean up.

Sherrill said his department will have “written up” 260 different lots this year as violating the city’s nuisance ordinance.

He can predict with confidence many of the properties that city workers will have to return to in coming months, Sherrill said.

The Community Appearance Commission would like the task force to have a recommendation to City Council on how to address trash receptacles left out too long on city streets.

The green garbage containers are supposed to be out by 7 a.m. and in by 7 p.m. on garbage collection days.

The task force suggested approaches such as a fine on a resident’s water bill for a trash receptacle violation, or warnings for the first offense and escalating fines for offenses after that.

Violations would be considered civil offenses. Sherrill said his department has documented 127 repeat offenders, in response to neighborhood complaints.

Both Sherrill and Treme said regular enforcement of trash receptacles would take extra staff time and city expense.

Task force members agreed that some kind of enforcement is necessary, but landlord Norde Wilson warned against creating a “city of Salisbury Gestapo.”

The task force will continue to work monthly on its goal of coming up with ordinances, education and programs that improve the quality of housing and landlord-tenant responsibilities in neighborhoods.