A. Notice to owner. For any property found to be in violation of this chapter, the Department may issue a written notice to remove weeds and/or rank vegetation to an owner notifying an owner of the violation and giving an owner five calendar days to abate the violation. If the violation is corrected within five days, no further action will be taken and no penalty imposed. Notice will be served in a manner required in subsection C.
B. Continuous abatement notice. A continuous abatement notice shall also be sent along with the notice to an owner set forth in subsection A. The continuous abatement notice serves as notice to the owner that each subsequent violation during the same year for which the initial notice of violation is provided, may be abated by the city or its contractors, without further notice sent in a manner required in subsection C. Before abating the violation under the continuous abatement notice, the Department shall obtain approval from the Board of Public Works and Safety to cut and remove any weeds and/or rank vegetation.
C. Manner of service. The notice to remove weeds and rank vegetation which shall include the continuous abatement notice, shall be in writing and shall be served upon an owner in one of the following manners:
1. Certified mail, return receipt requested, sent to the owner’s address; or
2. Registered mail sent to the owner’s address; or
3. If personal service upon the owner by a law enforcement officer of the city can be obtained with proof of service, the manner of service under subsection 1. or 2. is satisfied.
In addition to the manner of service set forth in subsection C.1. or C.2., the Department shall also serve the same notice at the same time, following one of the methods required under Indiana Code 1-1-7-1(b).
D. Appeal of notice. If an owner desires to appeal the notice requiring the owner to abate weeds and/or rank vegetation on the owner's property, an owner must notify both the City Garage Department and the City of Columbus Board of Public Works and Safety of the desire to appeal, by written letter, no later than close of business on the fifth day after receiving service of notice pursuant to subsection C. Upon receipt of the written letter, the Board of Public Works and Safety will hear an owner's appeal at the next scheduled Board of Public Works and Safety meeting. If an owner does not appear at the scheduled weekly meeting, the appeal will be denied.
(Ord. 14, 2017 § 2, 2017; Ord. 17-2012 § 1, 2012)