2000-58 MAKING APPROPRIATIONS - Laserfiche WebLink

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Our current system allows for a$75 charge, along with administrative fees, as a penalty for our having to mow private property found to be in violation. This is currently$146, including the $15 lien recording fee. Over the last 13 years the only increase in mowing penalties has been to allow for the increase that we actually pay the mowing contractor. This is not a money-making venture, to say the least, for the city of Decatur. � We currently use a private contractor to mow violation properties. This process involves I the bidding of the mowing each year, though we sometimes put in an option year. There have , been several instances in the past of the contractor awarded the contract being unable to fulfill the requirements of the contract. This has caused delays in mowing as well as administrative ',, difficulties in finding other methods to allow us to continue addressing the problems with weeds. ' The number of qualified mowing companies seems to have dwindled over the}�ears and the last request for bids resulted in three bids being submitted. All of the bids were much higher than we ' had ever received in the past. A part of the reason was the recent addition of a performance �, bond. The bond was added because, as stated previously,past problems with private contractors �' being unable to fulfill their contract. This is quite expensive and the amounts of the bids �I reflected this. I Recommendations �, Staff contacted several other communities and the research contains a variety of new �i methods that may work in our community. I would like to suggest the following 'i recommendations: 1) Our current ordinance states weeds or grass that has reached a height of 12"or more is a violation. This seems to be waiting too long to seek resolution to the problem. I would suggest we lower the violation height to 10". These are heights used in some other communities already. This would allow those gone for a week or two on vacation to still get back in time to mow before reaching violation height. 2) I further propose that our current notification system be changed. Instead of listing all the violation properties in the newspaper every week,we merely publish a notice for two weeks during the months of March through September. This would allow us to address the violations on vacant lots and unoccupied buildings and additionally allow for immediate abatement of the problem. On occupied structures we would physically post a notice on the property that there is a violation of the ordinance and it must be corrected within five days. If not mowed within the five days, the City would mow the lot. 3) Attachment"A"includes suggested language for our current ordinance addressing weed violations. This will allow us to continue to mow boulevazds, alley areas behind fences, etc. 4) I would like to see the penalty for mowing of violation properties be increased to reflect our accrual costs,which staff estimates will be a minimum of $250 per lot, or any part 2