(A) Cutting and removal. It shall be unlawful for any owner, lessee or occupant or any agent, servant, representative or employee of the owner, lessee or occupant having control of any occupied or unoccupied lot or land or any part thereof in the city to permit or maintain on any such lot or land or any part thereof, including the greenbelt out to and abutting the developed public street, in the city to permit or maintain on any such lot or land any growth of weeds, grass or other rank vegetation to a greater height than eight (8) inches on the average, or any accumulation of dead weeds, grass or brush. It shall also be unlawful for any such, person: to cause, suffer or allow poison ivy, ragweed or other poisonous plants, or plants detrimental to health to grow on any such lot or land in such manner that any part of such: ivy, ragweed or other poisonous or harmful, weed shall extend upon, overhang or border any public place onto allow seed, pollen or other poisonous particles or emanations therefrom to be carried through the air into public places.
(Prior Code, § 31-11)
(B) Duty of owner, lessee or occupant. It shall be the duty of any owner, lessee or occupant of any lot or land to cut and remove or cause to be cut and removed or destroyed by lawful means all such weeds, grass or other rank, poisonous or harmful vegetation as often as may be necessary to comply with the provisions of this subchapter, provided that the cutting, removing or destroying of the weeds, grass and vegetation at least once in every month during the growing season beginning April 1 shall be deemed to be in compliance with this subchapter.
(Prior Code, § 31-12)
(C) Exemptions. Exempted from the provisions of this subchapter are flower gardens, plots of shrubbery, vegetable gardens and small grain plots. An exemption under the terms of this subchapter cannot be claimed unless the land has been subjected to cultural operations.
(Prior Code, § 31-13)
(D) Enforcement. If the provisions of this article are not complied with, the City Clerk shall notify the owner of the premises 1 time during a season by first class mail, to comply with the provisions of this subchapter within a time to be specified in the notice. The notice shall require compliance within 10 days after mailing of the notice, and if the notice is not complied with within the time limit, the City Clerk shall cause the weeds, grass and other vegetation to be removed or destroyed, thereafter no notice shall be given, but rather the City Clerk will cause the weeds, grass and other vegetation to be removed or destroyed whenever the provisions of this subchapter are not complied with. The actual cost of the cutting plus an administrative charge as set by City Commission resolution shall become a lien against the premises and the owner shall be invoiced. If by December 31, the debt is still outstanding, the fee shall become a lien against the premises and shall be placed on the July tax roll for collection. The removal, cutting or destruction of weeds, grass and other vegetation may be completed by the Department of Public Works or an agent retained by the city.
(Prior Code, § 31-11)
(Ord. 95-7, passed 12-7-1995; Am. Ord. 96-7, passed 6-20-1996; Am. Ord. 2019-001, passed 2-7-2019) Penalty, see § 10.99