(A) Lots or pieces of ground within the municipality or within it extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction shall be drained or filled so as to prevent stagnant water or any other nuisance accumulating thereon.
(B) The owner or occupant of any lot or piece of ground within the municipality or within its extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction shall keep the lot or piece of ground and the adjoining streets and alleys free of any growth of 12 inches or more in height of weeds, grasses or worthless vegetation.
(C) The throwing, depositing or accumulation of litter on any lots or piece of ground within the municipality or within its extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction is prohibited.
(D) It is hereby declared to be a nuisance to permit or maintain any growth of 12 inches or more in height of weeds, grasses or worthless vegetation on any lots or piece of ground within the municipality or within its extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction or on the adjoining streets or alleys or to litter or cause litter to be deposited or remain thereon, except in proper receptacles.
(E) Any owner or occupant of a lot or piece of ground shall, upon conviction of violating this section, be guilty of an offense.
(F) (1) Notice to abate and remove such nuisance shall be given to each owner or owner’s duly authorized agent and to the occupant, if any. The municipality shall establish the method of notice by ordinance. If notice is given by first class mail, such mail shall be conspicuously marked as to it importance. Within five days after receipt of such notice, the owner or occupant of the lot or piece of ground may request a hearing with the municipality to appeal the decision to abate or remove a nuisance by filing a written appeal with the office of the Clerk. A hearing on the appeal shall be held within 14 days after the filing of the appeal and shall be conducted by an elected or appointed officer as designated in the ordinance. The hearing officer shall render a decision on the appeal within five business days after the conclusion of the bearing. If the appeal fails, the municipality may have such work done. Within five days after receipt of such notice, if the owner of the lot or piece of ground does not request a hearing with the municipality or fails to comply with the order to abate, and remove the nuisance, the municipality may have such work done.
(2) The cost and expenses of any such work shall be paid by the owner. If unpaid for two months after such work is done, the municipality may either:
(a) Levy and assess the costs and expenses of the work upon the lot or piece of ground so benefitted as a special assessment in the same manner as other special assessments of improvements are levied and assessed; or
(b) Recover in a civil action the costs and expenses of the work upon the lot or piece of ground and the adjoining streets and alleys.
(G) For the purpose of this section, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
LITTER. Includes, but is not limited to:
(a) Trash, rubbish, refuse, garbage, paper, rags and ashes;
(b) Wood, plaster, cement, brick or stone building rubble;
(c) Grass, leaves and worthless vegetation, except when used as ground mulch or in a compost pile;
(d) Offal and dead animals; and
(e) Any machine or machines, vehicle or vehicles, or parts of a machine or vehicle which have lost their identity, character, utility or serviceability as, such through deterioration, dismantling or the ravages of time, are inoperative or unable to perform their intended functions or are cast off, discarded or thrown away or left as waste, wreckage or junk.
WEEDS. Include, but are not limited to, bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), puncture vine (Tribulus Terrestris), leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula), Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense), perennial peppergrass (Lepidium draba), Russian knapweed (Centaurea picris), Johnson Grass (Sbrghum halepense), nodding or musk thistle, quack grass (Agroyronrepens), perennial sow thistle (Sonchu’s arvensis), horse nettle (Solanim carolinense), bull thistle (Cirsium lanceolatum), buckthorn (Rhamnus sp.) (tourn), hemp plant (Cannabis sativa) and ragweed (Ambrosiaceae).
(1976 Code, § 6-247) (Ord. 687, passed 8-19-1982; Ord. 1042, passed 8-19-1991; Ord. 1164, passed 7-10-1995; Ord. 1367, passed 11-8-2004; Ord. 1412, passed 2-22-2010; Ord. 1446, passed 12-23-2013; Ord. 1461, passed 2-8-2016; Ord. 1479, passed 2-5-2018) Penalty, see § 130.99
Statutory reference:
Related provisions, see Neb. RS 17-563