Keeping Arlington clean becomes easier

Is your neighbor’s tall grass or noisy dog driving you bonkers?

There’s now a mobile app for Arlington residents, Ask Arlington, that can help with that. Euless and Fort Worth have similar apps.

The app is part of Arlington’s five-year plan to lift the burden from the city’s Action Center hotline.

Simple complaints, like reporting a neighbor’s junked vehicle, can be dealt with electronically and without long phone hold times.

People can also send the city a photo of the violation.

Other cities have online reporting forms, and you can always call in the complaint, but distractions can happen between the time you are parking your car and when you sit down at the computer. A mobile app is easier.

Code enforcement helps property values and makes neighborhoods look better. No one likes to be next door to a house with a lawn fit for a haunted house.

This app can help keep Arlington attractive. Other cities should take note.

This story was originally published January 26, 2017 at 6:25 PM with the headline "Keeping Arlington clean becomes easier."