2015-0365
INTRODUCED BY: V.J. ST. PIERRE, JR., PARISH PRESIDENT
(DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING & ZONING)
ORDINANCE NO.
Title
An ordinance of the Parish of St. Charles providing that the Code of Ordinances, Chapter 16 Nuisances, Article III. Weeds and Grass, Etc., Section 16-26. Notice to abate. and Section 16-27. Abatement by parish. by amending the abatement procedures related to the required notification period.
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WHEREAS, The St. Charles Parish Council acknowledges property containing tall grass is a threat to public health, safety and welfare; and,
WHEREAS, neighboring property owners are due a timely response from St. Charles Parish Code Enforcement; and,
WHEREAS, the Code Enforcement Department cannot take action until un-receipted written notices to the Planning and Zoning Office before the abatement process can proceed on property containing grass which exceeds one (1) foot; and,
WHEREAS, the unsigned registered or certified mail return time can be over 30 days before the department receives the information back from the Post Office; and,
WHEREAS, often the height of the tall grass is far beyond compliance at the notification return date; and,
WHEREAS, the St. Charles Parish Council desires a streamlined abatement notification process and faster compliance in instances where notices are refused by property owners.
THE ST. CHARLES PARISH COUNCIL HEREBY ORDAINS:
SECTION I. That the St. Charles Parish Code of Ordinances, Chapter 16 Nuisances, Article III. Weeds and Grass, Etc., Section 16-26. Notice to abate. (a) be amended as follows:
(a) By mail: The parish shall notify, by registered or certified mail, the owner, or his agent, of any property on which tall grass and/or trash may be located in violation of section 16-25, to cut, destroy or remove such tall grass and/or trash from the premises involved, which notice shall be sent to the owner of such property (as shown on the latest assessment rolls of the parish) or his agent. This notice will identify the property and notify the owner or his agent to perform any necessary work at his own expense within five (5) working days after receipt of the notice.
SECTION II. That the St. Charles Parish Code of Ordinances Chapter 16 Nuisances, Article III. Weeds and Grass, Etc., Section 16-27. Abatement by parish. be amended as follows:
If the required work is not done by the property owner or his agent within five (5) working days after receipt of written notice, the parish may proceed to have the necessary work done either by parish employees or an independent contractor.
If the written notice is returned to the parish un-receipted for any reason and at least five (5) working days have lapsed since the published notice, or thirty days after the notice has been received by the Post Office and at least five (5) working days have lapsed since the published notice, the parish may proceed to have the necessary work done either by parish employees or an independent contractor. The owner will be charged a fee of two and one-half cents ($0.025) per square foot of the lot cleaned. The contractor's fee for performing these services shall be at the rate of two cents ($0.02) per square foot of the lot cleaned. In the event a mini-cleanup is required prior to performing the above services, a fee of forty dollars ($40.00) per mini-cleanup plus actual disposal fees will be assessed, not to exceed ten (10) mini-cleanups per property in violation. On property where trash and/or debris accumulation is such that it requires heavy equipment, bulldozer, front-end loaders, etc., a fee of forty dollars ($40.00) per cubic yard will be assessed and added to the actual disposal fees. An administrative fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) may be assessed on each invoice. The fees in this section shall be increased or decreased February first of each year by the change in CPI applicable to the U.S. cites average group, all urban consumers, all items, published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, for the preceding twelve-month period ending each November. The change shall become effective beginning with the period ending November 30, 2000. The department of finance shall notify the department of planning and zoning in writing annually of the revised fees.
An additional fine of five hundred dollars ($500.00) will be assessed to any property, with the exception of adjudicated property which is cut by the parish more than three (3) times in one (1) calendar year.
The foregoing ordinance having been submitted to a vote, the vote thereon was as follows:
And the ordinance was declared adopted this day of , 2015, to become effective five (5) days after publication in the Official Journal.
CHAIRMAN:______________________________________________
SECRETARY:_____________________________________________
DLVD/PARISH PRESIDENT:_________________________________
APPROVED:______________ DISAPPROVED:__________________
PARISH PRESIDENT:______________________________________
RETD/SECRETARY:_______________________________________
AT:_______________RECD BY: _____________________________