(A) Real property to be kept clean. It shall be unlawful for any person owning or occupying real property to allow weeds to grow or exist on such property in violation of this subchapter, or not to remove from any such property any cuttings of such weeds or any refuse, or unsightly or deleterious objects, after having been given notice from the Code Enforcement Officer as hereinafter provided.
(1) Except that where, due to the size, location, proximity to buildings, accessibility, or other circumstances regarding certain real property, a Code Enforcement Officer determines that weeds on such property, which would otherwise constitute a violation of division (C) below, do not create a serious nuisance or fire hazard, or that requiring the removal of such weeds is deemed impractical, a Code Enforcement Officer may:
(a) Issue an order permitting the owner to create fire breaks a minimum of 15 feet in width at locations on the property to be determined by the Inspector; and/or
(b) Exempt the property from the requirements of this subchapter.
(B) Weeds defined. WEEDS shall include any vegetation growing in an uncultivated state, not used for food, fiber, or ornamentation, or any vegetation commonly referred to as a WEED, or which shall have been designated a NOXIOUS WEED by the State Department of Agriculture and Foods, and/or the County Weed Department.
(C) Standards of weed control. It is hereby declared that the weeds stated in division (B) above constitute a nuisance when they:
(1) Create a fire hazard, a source of contamination or pollution of the water, air, or property, a danger to health, a breeding place or habitation for insects or rodents or other forms of life deleterious to humans, or are unsightly or deleterious to their surroundings;
(2) Have grown to a height greater than 12 inches above ground; and
(3) Have covered more than 25% of the property.
(Prior Code, § 8.06.020) (Ord. 11-2016, passed 6-15-2016) Penalty, see § 90.99