(a) The owner or person having the charge or management of any vacant lot or parcel of land which has been regraded or had its natural ground cover removed, in whole or in part, shall provide each such lot or parcel with proper drainage, perennial grass seeding or grading so that damage or burden to the public ways, streets, sidewalks or storm sewers will not occur; so that erosion of soil or undermining of the public ways, streets, sidewalks or storm sewers will not occur; and so that adjoining property shall be better protected from the common enemy of flooding or running surface waters which cause damage as land may be regraded and the ground cover removed.
(b) Whenever a public way, street, sidewalk or storm sewer is in danger of injury or damage due to an excessive runoff of surface waters caused by the lack of proper drainage, perennial grass seeding or grading, the Mayor shall report such facts to Council and shall direct the Municipal Engineer to study the situation and report back with his professional engineering recommendations of the steps to be taken which are necessary to correct the damaging conditions in order to protect the City and adjoining properties. The Mayor shall cause notice to be served on the owner or person having the charge or management of such property, of the violation and shall order that within ten days from the date of such notice, he shall take the necessary steps to eliminate the damaging condition, which steps shall comply with the professional engineering recommendations of the Engineer. Such notice shall specify that the Engineer is available for consultation upon the issue. The notice called for in this section shall be in writing and shall be mailed by certified mail and addressed to the address of the owner or person having the charge or management of such property. If the address of such owner is unknown, it shall be sufficient to publish such notice once in a newspaper of general circulation within the County.
(c) In the event that the Mayor shall advise Council that the owner or person having the charge or management of such property has failed to take the necessary steps as set forth in the notice to him within ten days from the date of the notice, the Mayor shall cause such steps as recommended by the Engineer to be taken and the necessary work completed.
(d) Whenever any grading, perennial grass seeding or drainage work is done by the Municipality pursuant to this section, upon the completion of the same, the Mayor shall cause notice to be served on the owner or person charged with the care or management of such property of the cost of such work and advise him that he has five days from the date of such notice to pay the full amount of costs incurred by the Municipality. In the event the costs remain unpaid for a period of thirty days after the mailing or publication of such notice, then such amount shall be certified to the County Auditor for collection, the same as other taxes and assessments are collected.
(Ord. 79-1970. Passed 7-28-70.)
(Ord. 79-1970. Passed 7-28-70.)
(e) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.