(a) The City shall have the discretionary right to cause the removal of any trees on private property within the City, when such trees are found to constitute a hazard to life and City property outside of said property, or harbor insects or disease which constitutes a potential threat to other trees within the City. The Director of Public Service and/or Engineering Department will notify in writing the owners of such trees. Removal shall be done by said owners or at their own expense within thirty (30) days after the date of the service of notice. In the event of failure of owners to comply with such provisions, the City shall have the authority to remove such trees and charge the cost of removal on the owner's property tax notice should the owner fail to pay said cost. The Director of Public Service and/or Engineering Department is authorized to enter into a repayment plan if the surrounding circumstances merit such discretion.
(b) In the event the adjacent property owner neglects or refuses to remove hazardous, or diseased trees or dead parts or branches of trees or prune or keep pruned the branches of any trees as provided in paragraph (a), the City may, after ten (10) days written notice to the owner or occupant of such abutting property, cause such trees or parts of trees to be removed or to be pruned as provided in paragraph (a). All expenses effecting said removal pursuant to this section, including the costs of inspection, record search, notification and billing, so incurred by the city, shall be recorded by the Director of Public Service, or designee, who shall mail a statement/invoice thereof to the owner of such land if a current address is known. If after thirty (30) days the amount remains unpaid, Council by ordinance shall certify the total amount of the expenses, the name of the owner of the land, and a sufficient description of the premises, to the County Auditor to be entered upon the tax duplicate to be lien upon such land from the date of entry, and to be as other taxes and assessments and returned to the appropriate fund. The notice may be served by certified mail addressed to the owner or occupant of such premises by mailing the same to the last known place of residence of such owner or occupant.
(Ord. 165-2018. Passed 7-30-18.)