Starting April 1, the city of Hoquiam plans to get tough with owners of so-called "nuisance" properties that are in poor repair or generally poorly maintained. The city announced at Monday night's council meeting an emphasis patrol that could include misdemeanor criminal charges against property owners who fail to respond to city notices telling them to clean up their acts. Lawn cleanup, trash removal and disposal of junk cars and boats are also high on the list of code enforcement priorities. Property owners will be given a 7-day courtesy period to correct violations, after which the city penalties begin with a formal written order to comply and escalate from there.