Lincoln residents may soon have to put up with taller weeds as the city council begins discussing the issue of saving money by allowing grass and weeds to grow longer.

Lincoln has a city ordinance that requires owners to keep their grass and weeds under six inches tall, but the city council is considering changing that restriction to 12 inches to save some money.

It would create a more efficient system, allowing inspectors to focus on serious problem areas instead of lawns with high grass. The backyard at 10/11's station is a good example of how easy it is to violate the current ordinance. The grass is just over six inches and inspectors could get a call. But if the limit were 12 inches, it wouldn't even be considered, saving the inspectors a trip.

With the weather heating up, more and more people have had to fire up their mowers this year. But just look down your street and it's obvious some haven't.

"If you drive around any part of Lincoln you can find this problem," said Michael Snodgrass, NeighborWorks Lincoln.

For some neighborhoods, weeds, grass, overgrown lots and yards are more than just a nuisance.

"Does six inches matter? Well, six inches makes a big difference when you're trying to sell a house next to it or revitalize or build a house next to it. If you have overgrown lot next to you, it makes a huge marketing impact. It's a step backward for neighborhoods," Snodgrass said.

Neighborhood associations want unsightly yards like this one taken care of with the ordinance, but that's not what officials want to deal with. They'd rather spend their time on large lots like this one where the excessive growth can become health hazards.

"The ordinance was never designed to be about lawn maintenance. It was designed to eliminate harborage for health vectors, such as rats, mice etc. This is what we should be addressing," said Barb Frazier, Lancaster County Weed Authority.

By increasing the height restriction, officials say they'll field less nuisance calls and be able to focus on the big problems, but many are concerned this will just create new problems within the city.

"We're looking for more tools to combat these issues in urban neighborhoods. This is actually taking one tool out of toolbox we need," Snodgrass said.

"I understand you want city to look good and nice, and I have no problem with that. We just really need to take a good hard look at what we want our tax dollars to be paying for," Frazier said.

Some residents feel absentee owners will take advantage of the proposed change and the trouble lots will get worse and worse and be well over two feet before anything is done about them.

The County Weed Authority disagrees and thinks this will be a good thing. They say they get many calls where the grass has been mowed by the time they get there.

The city council is holding a public hearing on the issue. It's not the first time it's been before council in Lincoln, and a higher restriction isn't unusual. Omaha lets their weeds grow to 18 inches. The council will decide on the change in the coming weeks.