(a) Council hereby declares excess growth of weeds or grasses to be a public nuisance as provided in this chapter and authorizes and directs the Director of Public Service to take actions under the following terms:
(1) The owner, occupant or person having the charge or management of any lot or parcel of land situated in the City, whether the same is improved or unimproved, vacant or occupied, shall, within five days of written notice to do so, served upon him or her in conformity with Ohio R.C. 731.52, cut or destroy or cause to be cut or destroyed any weeds or grasses growing upon any such lot or parcel of land, and prevent the same from blooming or going to seed or exceeding a height of eight inches.
(2) If the owner, occupant or person having the charge or management of any lot or parcel of land situated in the City does not cut or destroy, or cause to be cut or destroyed, weeds or grasses in accordance with this section, then the Director of Public Service is authorized and it is declared to be his or her duty to have enforced this section and to cause to be cut and removed all such weeds or grasses.
(3) Whenever weeds or grasses are cut and/or removed, or caused to be cut and/or removed, by the Municipality, then, after the work is done, the Municipality shall give five days notice by regular mail to the owner of such lot or parcel of land, at his or her last known address, to pay the cost of such cutting and/or removal of weeds or grasses or parts thereof. Such notice shall be accompanied by a statement of the amount of cost incurred. If the same is not paid within thirty days after the mailing of such notice, then the amount shall be certified to the County Auditor for collection in the same manner as other taxes and assessments are collected.
(b) This section shall not apply to lands which are used for agricultural or horticultural purposes or parcels of land left vacant outside of developments.
(c) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree and shall be subject to the penalty provided in Section 698.02. A separate offense shall be deemed committed each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues.
(Ord. 108-89. Passed 11-13-89; Ord. 162-98. Passed 9-14-98; Ord. 128-09. Passed 11-9-09.)