Brooklyn Park residents, brace yourselves for a neighborhood sweep. The city's Environmental Health Division will be hitting the streets beginning April 8, performing inspections to make sure your property is up to snuff. According to an announcement made on March 27th by the city, these checks will target different neighborhoods annually, as mapped out in their 2024 sweep plan.

This isn't just a cursory glance from the sidewalk. Inspectors will be conducting thorough door-to-door evaluations for both residential and business properties within the designated areas. They'll be looking for any violations of city code, and if they find something amiss, they won't hesitate to let you know. A door hanger detailing observed violations will be your first hint that something needs fixing up. But if those concerns persist, the city will send you a Correction Order through the post, giving you the lowdown on what exactly needs to be corrected and affording you some time to make those changes.

It's not all about pointing fingers, though. The city maintains that these sweeps aren't just a way to slap wrists, but a joint effort by residents, businesses, and city officials to keep communities in Brooklyn Park vibrant and well-maintained. By catching issues early, the city hopes to prevent the kind of decay that can take a toll on neighborhoods.

Worried you might not pass muster? The city has a tool for that. Brooklyn Park is providing a Self-Inspection Checklist available on their website, so you can play city inspector yourself before the real deal shows up at your door. This list comes complete with all the common concerns inspectors will be on the lookout for, allowing homeowners and business operators to preemptively address any issues. You can find a said checklist and prepare your property at Brooklyn Park's official site.

So, while it might be a bit of a pain now, considering the city's track record of fostering neighborhood health through these annual inspections, it might just be worth it to pick up a copy of that checklist and get ahead of the game—your community could be all the better for it.