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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4905-04/23/2008 (RECORDED)This Ordinance prepared by Nancy Eckert, City Clerk, 715 Mulberry Street, Waterloo, Iowa. ORDINANCE NO. 4905 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE 2007 CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF WATERLOO, IOWA, BY REPEALING SECTION 7-5B-5, NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNERS, AND SECTION 7-5B-6, PAYMENT, ASSESSMENT OF COSTS, OF ARTICLE B, WEEDS, OF CHAPTER 5, VEGETATION, OF TITLE 7, PUBLIC WAYS & PROPERTY; AND ENACTING IN LIEU. THEREOF NEW SECTION 7-5B-5. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNERS, AND NEW SECTION 7-5B-6, PAYMENT, ASSESSMENT OF COSTS, APPEAL, OF ARTICLE B, WEEDS, OF CHAPTER 5, VEGETATION, OF TITLE 7, PUBLIC WAYS & PROPERTY. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WATERLOO, IOWA: That Section 7-5B-5, Notice to Property Owners, and Section 7-5B-6, Payment, Assessment of Costs, of Article B, Weeds, of Chapter 5, Vegetation, of Title 7, Public Ways & Property, of the 2007 Code of Ordinances of the City of Waterloo, Iowa, are hereby repealed in their entirety; that new Section 7-5B-5, Notice to Property Owners and new Section 7-5B-6, Payment, Assessment of Costs, Appeal, are hereby enacted in lieu thereof as follows: CHAPTER 5 VEGETATION ARTICLE B: WEEDS 7-5B-5: NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNERS: A. Upon receipt of a complaint or observation by the superintendent of Waste Management Services or his/her designee, a notice shall be issued to the owner (as shown by the official records of Black Hawk County), agent, and/or person in possession of said property, describing the nuisance or hazard on said property. The notice shall request the abatement of the nuisance or hazard within ten (10) days from the date of service as evidenced on the return, or if by certified mail, from the date of mailing as evidenced by the certified mail book at the post office where mailed. Failure of the owner to abate the growth within the time frame set forth herein may result in the city's abating said growth and assessing all costs associated therewith against the affected property. Any repeat violations on the same property within the same growing season may result in an increase in costs by an amount equal to the number of incidents multiplied by the base administrative fee as determined by the superintendent of Waste Management Services or his/her designee. (Ord. 4698, 6-14-2004) Document Number: 2008025915 1-Y OF WATERLOO I Date: Jun 24, 2008 4:30:00 pm CITY CLERK / Aud Fee: 0.00 Rec Fee: 20.00 P Trans Tax: 0.00 Rec Management Fee: 1.00 E -Com Fee: 1.00 Non -Standard Page Fee: 0.00 Filed for record in Black Hawk County, Iowa Z Judith A. McCarthy, County Recorder This Ordinance prepared by Nancy Eckert, City Clerk, 715 Mulberry Street, Waterloo, Iowa. ORDINANCE NO. 4905 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE 2007 CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF WATERLOO, IOWA, BY REPEALING SECTION 7-5B-5, NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNERS, AND SECTION 7-5B-6, PAYMENT, ASSESSMENT OF COSTS, OF ARTICLE B, WEEDS, OF CHAPTER 5, VEGETATION, OF TITLE 7, PUBLIC WAYS & PROPERTY; AND ENACTING IN LIEU. THEREOF NEW SECTION 7-5B-5. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNERS, AND NEW SECTION 7-5B-6, PAYMENT, ASSESSMENT OF COSTS, APPEAL, OF ARTICLE B, WEEDS, OF CHAPTER 5, VEGETATION, OF TITLE 7, PUBLIC WAYS & PROPERTY. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WATERLOO, IOWA: That Section 7-5B-5, Notice to Property Owners, and Section 7-5B-6, Payment, Assessment of Costs, of Article B, Weeds, of Chapter 5, Vegetation, of Title 7, Public Ways & Property, of the 2007 Code of Ordinances of the City of Waterloo, Iowa, are hereby repealed in their entirety; that new Section 7-5B-5, Notice to Property Owners and new Section 7-5B-6, Payment, Assessment of Costs, Appeal, are hereby enacted in lieu thereof as follows: CHAPTER 5 VEGETATION ARTICLE B: WEEDS 7-5B-5: NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNERS: A. Upon receipt of a complaint or observation by the superintendent of Waste Management Services or his/her designee, a notice shall be issued to the owner (as shown by the official records of Black Hawk County), agent, and/or person in possession of said property, describing the nuisance or hazard on said property. The notice shall request the abatement of the nuisance or hazard within ten (10) days from the date of service as evidenced on the return, or if by certified mail, from the date of mailing as evidenced by the certified mail book at the post office where mailed. Failure of the owner to abate the growth within the time frame set forth herein may result in the city's abating said growth and assessing all costs associated therewith against the affected property. Any repeat violations on the same property within the same growing season may result in an increase in costs by an amount equal to the number of incidents multiplied by the base administrative fee as determined by the superintendent of Waste Management Services or his/her designee. (Ord. 4698, 6-14-2004) Ordinance No. 4905 Page 2 B. Notice required herein shall be by ordinance or certified mail, stating that the property is in violation of this article, and that failure of the owner, agent, and/or person in possession of said property to abate the growth within the time frame set forth herein may result in the city's abating the growth and assessing costs of said action against the property. If the superintendent of Waste Management Services or his/her designee or the fire or health departments declare the growth to be an emergency, the city may perform any action required to abate said growth without prior notice, and assess any and all costs of said action to the property as provided herein. An emergency shall be any act or omission of the property owner which constitutes a health, safety, or fire hazard to anyone. (Ord. 4482, 5-29-2001) C. In addition to any other fees or charges provided for in this Article 5B, an administrative fee of $100.00 shall be charged to a property owner who is issued more than one notice pursuant to this section for the same street address in the same calendar year. A party to whom a notice is issued who wishes to contest the administrative fee may file an appeal pursuant to Section 7 -5B -6(C). 7-5B-6: PAYMENT, ASSESSMENT OF COSTS, APPEAL: A. Upon completion of the abatement of a weed hazard or nuisance as provided for herein, the city clerk shall demand payment for the costs of such abatement from the property owner by mailing a statement of the fee to the last known address of the owner and/or person in possession as shown by the records of the county. Notice shall be by ordinary mail. Said statement shall be due and payable upon mailing and shall become delinquent if not paid within ten (10) days of the mailing date of the notice as evidenced by the date of said mailing. Any delinquent fees and charges may be assessed against the property for collection in the same manner as a property tax, as provided in state law. B. If the city is required to abate another weed hazard or nuisance at the same street address in the same calendar year, an administrative fee of $100 will be charged to the property owner in addition to the actual cost of abatement. For each and every subsequent abatement for the same street address in the same calendar year, the administrative fee will be $300. C. Appeal: A property owner in receipt of a statement of fees and charges for a weed hazard abatement who contests the statement may file a written appeal with the city clerk within ten (10) days of the postmarked date of the statement. An administrative fee of $50 must be paid when the appeal is filed. Failure to file Ordinance No. 4905 Page 3 the appeal and pay the administrative fee within said ten (10) days shall constitute a waiver of the right to a hearing, and the statement of fees and charges shall thereupon become final. Hearing on the appeal before the city council shall be scheduled for a date within thirty (30) days of filing the appeal and shall be scheduled for no more than thirty (30) minutes in length, or such additional time as the city council in its discretion may deem necessary. If the appellant desires additional time, he or she must make application to the city council at least seven (7) days prior to the hearing date. The appeal hearing shall be simple and informal, without regard to technicalities or procedure or rules regarding admissibility of evidence. The city council may consider any evidence it considers credible, including testimony of employees of the Waste Management Services department, written summaries and other secondary sources, and give such weight to the evidence as it considers warranted. After such hearing, the city council shall determine the amount of the assessment should be affirmed, reduced, or waived. Such determination shall be contained in a written decision and shall be filed with the city clerk within ten (10) days after the hearing, or any continued session thereof. In the event the city council waives the amount of the assessment in full by over half, the $50 filing fee for the appeal will be refunded to the property owner. INTRODUCED: April 21, 2008 PASSED 1St CONSIDERATION: April 21, 2008 PASSED 2nd CONSIDERATION: April 21, 2008 PASSED 3rd CONSIDERATION: April 21, 2008 PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Waterloo, Iowa, on the 21St day of April, 2008, and approved by the Mayor on the 23rd day of April, 2008. Tim Hurley, o ATTEST: May Nancy Eckert, CMC City Clerk Ordinance No. 4905 Page 4 CERTIFICATE I, Nancy Eckert, City Clerk of the City of Waterloo, Iowa, do hereby certify that the preceding is a true and complete copy of Ordinance No. 4905 as passed and adopted by the Council of the City of Waterloo, Iowa, on the 21St day of April, 2008. Witness my hand and seal of office this 23rd day of April, I/t SEAL Nancy Eckert CMC City Clerk