(A) Nuisance; abatement required. Russian, Canadian or common thistle, wild lettuce, wild mustard, wild parsley, ragweed, milkweed, iron weed and all other noxious weeds growing or being upon any lot or land in the city are hereby declared a public nuisance. Every owner, occupant or person in control of any lot or land in the city shall cause such lot or land to be kept free of such noxious weeds by destroying them by spraying with a chemical compound, approved by the Health Commissioner, or by cutting, burning, digging under or any other method approved by the Commissioner.
(B) Notice to abate. Notwithstanding the penalty contained in division (F) of this section, and in addition thereto, when the Chief of Police or his or her designee ascertains that noxious weeds are growing on any lot or land in the city, the Chief or designee shall cause a notice to be mailed to the owner of such lot or land that noxious weeds are growing thereon and must be destroyed by any of the methods set forth in division (A) of this section and that such destruction shall be commenced within ten days after the mailing of such notice. It shall be sufficient to mail such notice to the owner of such lot or land, as listed in the County Auditor's tax lists, at the mailing address as shown on such tax lists. If no such mailing address is shown on the Auditor's records, it shall be sufficient to publish such notice once in a newspaper of general circulation.
(C) Return of service. Return of service shall be made to Council by affidavit of the person mailing or publishing such a notice, and when notice is given by mail, such affidavit shall identify the property by the County Auditor's book, page and parcel number and shall show the name and address of the person to whom the notice was mailed and the date of mailing.
(D) Destruction by public officers. If the owner fails to comply with such notice, the Chief of Police or his or her designee shall cause such noxious weeds to be destroyed by one of the methods set forth in division (A) of this section. The Chief or designee shall report all expenses involved in the destruction of such weeds, including the cost of service of notice, to Council.
(E) Cost of destruction. When noxious weeds have been cut or destroyed in accordance with division (D) of this section, the cost thereof shall be a lien on such lot or land from the date such expenses are reported to Council in accordance with division (D) of this section. The Clerk of Council shall certify such cost to the County Auditor to be placed, by the Auditor, upon the tax list and collected as other taxes are collected and returned to the city in accordance with Ohio R.C. 731.54. The remedy provided for herein shall be in addition to the penalty provided in division (F) of this section.
(F) Penalty. Whoever falls to comply with any of the provisions of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(‘82 Code, § 660.13) Penalty, see § 698.02