(A) Duty of owners to cut weeds. It shall be the duty of every person owning or occupying land within the village to cut down all Canada thistles, milk weed, wild carrots, oxeye daisies, or other unsightly or noxious weeds growing on the land once each month or as frequently as may be necessary to prevent the weeds from going to seed or becoming unsightly and failure to do so shall constitute a violation of this section.
(B) Duty of owners to mow grass. It shall be the duty of every person or entity owning or occupying residential land or adjoining residential and developed land within the village to mow the grass on their premises whenever the grass reaches a length of eight inches or more and failure to do so shall constitute a violation of this code, unless said person or entity shall have devised a plan for a "natural yard" and received written permission for same from the Village DPW or the designee. Taking into exception open draining ditches.
(C) Notice to cut weeds or mow grass.
(1) It shall be the duty of the Village DPW or the designee to give notice once each calendar year to every owner or occupier of any lands in the village whereon uncut weeds are growing or unmowed grass is growing to cut the weeds or mow the grass. This notice shall be sent by regular mail to the owner, and to the occupant if the occupant is not the owner, and if the weeds are not cut or the grass is not mowed within seven days of the date of mailing, or if a written extension of this limit is not obtained from the code enforcement officer, then the Village DPW or their designee shall cause said weeds to be cut or said grass to be mowed.
(2) Subsequent to the first notice and subsequent cutting or mowing, if the noxious weeds grow up again, or the unmowed grass again reaches the length of eight inches, the Village DPW or his or her designee shall again, as many times as may be necessary, cause the weeds to be cut and/or the grass to be mowed without any further notice, and same shall be the case even if the property owner or occupant has previously in the same year taken care of a violation themselves.
(D) Village to mow grass or cut down weeds upon failure to do so. If the owner, occupier or person having charge of any land, shall refuse or neglect to comply with the notice to cut the weeds or mow the grass on or before the date stated in the notice, it shall be the duty of the Village DPW, or the designee, to cause all such grass and/or unsightly or noxious weeds to be cut down.
(E) Record of expenses incurred in mowing grass and in cutting down weeds. The Village DPW or the designee shall keep an accurate account of the expenses incurred by him or her in carrying out the above described terms and he or she shall make a sworn statement of such account to the Village Clerk.
(F) Special assessment; lien on property; collection. When weeds or grass are mowed or cut by the village under the provisions of this section, the procedure to secure payment of the cost to the village of removal of said grass or weeds shall be as follows: A copy of the sworn statement of said account shall be sent by regular mail to the owner or occupier of the property, and if said amount is not paid within 60 days or written arrangements made with the Village DPW or the designee for an extension of time, then the following shall occur:
(1) The Village DPW or their designee shall submit to the Village Council an itemized and verified statement showing expenditures of material, labor (including administrative expenses), equipment and any other related expense to the village used in the cutting or mowing of the grass or weeds; and the description of the lot, part of the lot or parcel of ground from which the weeds or grass have been mowed or cut.
(2) The Council shall examine the verified statement and, if found correct, shall direct that the expense of the mowing or cutting shall be assessed against the property as a single lot assessment.
(Ord. 47, passed 9-8-03)