(a) Control. Every owner, occupant or person in control of any lot or lands within the City shall cause such lot or lands to be kept free from weeds growing or being upon such lot or lands by destroying such weeds by spraying with a chemical compound approved by the County Board of Health or by cutting and burning or by digging under, or by any other method approved by the County Board of Health.
(b) Notice to Owner. Notwithstanding the penalty contained in division (f) hereof, and in addition thereto, when the Director of Service or the County Board of Health ascertains that weeds as set forth in division (a) hereof are growing on lands within the City, they shall cause written notice to be served upon the owner, lessee, agent or tenant having charge of any lot or lands within the City stating that weeds are growing on such lands, that they must be destroyed by any of the methods set forth in division (a) hereof and that such destruction must be commenced within five days after the service of such notice. If such owner or other person having charge of such lands is a nonresident whose address is known, such notice shall be sent to his or her address by registered mail; if the address of such owner is unknown, it shall be sufficient to publish such notice once in a newspaper of general circulation in the City.
(c) Service and Return. Any official designated by the Director of Service may take service and return of the notice provided for in division (b) hereof.
(d) Destruction by Public Officer. If the owner, lessee, agent or tenant having charge of the lands mentioned in division (a) hereof fails to comply with such notice, the Director of Service shall cause such noxious weeds to be cut and destroyed and for such purpose may employ the necessary labor to carry out the provisions of this section. The Director of Service shall report all such expenses to Council.
(e) Costs to be a Lien on the Land. Upon the receipt of such statement of expenses incurred, Council shall make written return to the County Auditor of its action under this section with a statement of the charges for their services, the amount paid for the performance of such labor and a proper description of the premises for the purposes of making the same a lien upon such lands to be collected as other taxes and returned to the City with the General Fund in accordance with Ohio R.C. 731.54.
(Ord. 58-75. Passed 11-17-58.)
(f) Penalty. Whoever violates or fails to comply with this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. A separate offense shall be deemed committed each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues. The penalty shall be as provided in Section 698.02.