(a) It is hereby declared to be a nuisance to place litter upon lands within the City. When such a nuisance exists, the City Administrator shall cause a written notice to be served upon the owner, lessee, agent or tenant having charge of such land, notifying such person that litter is on the land, and that it shall be collected and removed within fifteen days after the service of the notice.
(b) As used in this section, "litter" includes any garbage, waste, peelings of vegetables or fruits, dead trees, limbs, dead wood, rubbish, ashes, cans, bottles, wire, paper, cartons, boxes, parts of automobiles, wagons, furniture, glass, oil, biological refuse, grass clippings or excess dirt not indigenous to the subject property, or anything else of an unsightly or unsanitary nature.
(c) If the owner or other person having charge of the land referenced hereinabove has a known address, then the notice required herein shall be sent to such address by United States Certified Mail, postage prepaid, or shall be made by actual personal service by the City Administrator, or his or her designee, or left at the address of such person having charge of the land with any adult person at such address. If the address of the owner or other person having charge of the subject land is unknown, it is sufficient to publish the notice once in a newspaper of general circulation within Seneca County.
(d) If the owner, lessee, agent or tenant having charge of the lands referred to in subsection (a) hereof fails to comply with the notice required by such section, the City Administrator shall cause such litter to be removed and may employ the necessary labor to perform such task. The City Administrator shall cause a notice to be served upon the owner, lessee, agent or tenant having charge of the lands requiring such person to pay the cost of such work in accordance with a statement of cost enclosed with such notice. The notice shall be sent in the same manner as provided in subsection (c) hereof. If the statement of costs is not paid within thirty days after mailing of such notice and statement, the City shall make a written return to the County Auditor of its actions taken hereunder with a statement of the charges for such services, the amount paid for the performing of such labor, and a proper description of the premises. Such amounts shall be entered upon the tax duplicate, shall be a lien upon such lands from the date of the entry and shall be collected as other taxes and returned to the City with the General Fund.
(e) Whoever fails to comply with the notice to remove litter within the time limits prescribed in subsection (a) hereof shall be guilty of a minor misdemeanor. Each day of violation shall be considered a separate offense.
(Ord. 06-63. Passed 11-20-06.)