[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Williston Park 6-18-1990 by L.L. No. 2-1990 (Ch. 16 of the 1975 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Fees — See Ch. 93.
Noise — See Ch. 139.
Property maintenance — See Ch. 168.
Solid waste — See Ch. 187.
Trees — See Ch. 212.
A. 
It is the finding of the Board of Trustees that the provisions of this chapter are necessary and desirable to regulate and control the enterprise of commercial landscape gardening and to generally regulate certain landscaping, gardening or grounds-keeping activities and services which pose a potential or actual risk of noise, odors or other nuisance or which might otherwise impair or disturb the public health, safety, peace, welfare and good order of the community.
B. 
It is the intention of this chapter to license certain persons engaged routinely in the trade or occupation of commercial landscape gardening and to limit, regulate or prohibit related activities by any person which, if left unregulated, would tend to create or encourage public or private nuisances, noise or other environmental pollution or disturbance of the public peace and order.
For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings ascribed:
COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPE GARDENING
The business or trade of rendering any landscaping, gardening or grounds-keeping services, as defined herein, either as principal independent contractor or through an agent or employee, for a fee, charge or other compensation, to or for the benefit of any owner, tenant or occupant of lands, grounds or buildings.
GARDENING
The tilling, sowing, cultivation, trimming, fertilization, pruning, cutting, shaping, treatment, spraying or other maintenance and care of any lawn, tree, flower, sod, shrub, bush, plant or other flora on any lot, plot or parcel of land.
GROUNDS-KEEPING
The cleaning of any lot, plot or parcel of land by means of gathering and removing weeds or any fallen, diseased, dead or discarded tree limbs, branches, brush, leaves, grass or lawn clippings, fruit or flower waste or other plant waste and any litter, dirt, debris, rubbish or other refuse or waste present or engendered on or about the premises.
LANDSCAPING
The planting, arranging, placing or removal of any lawns, sod, trees, flowers, shrubs, bushes or other flora on any lot, plot or parcel of land for a planned design or purpose or to achieve some aesthetic effect.
A. 
It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in or practice the trade or business of commercial landscape gardening within the corporate limits of the Village of Williston Park without having first obtained and having in full force and effect a license for such purpose issued pursuant to the requirements of this chapter.
B. 
Every truck, dump truck, van or other motor vehicle and every trailer, container or other towable device owned, leased or otherwise used by any person engaged in the trade or business of commercial landscape gardening, except those persons exempted under Subsection C(1), (2), (3) and (4), shall have an accessory vehicle permit, required by this chapter, firmly affixed to such vehicle or device at all times that such vehicle or device is located and used in the village in the course of such trade or business.
C. 
Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection A above, the following persons shall be exempt from the licensing requirements of such subsection:
(1) 
Any person engaged in such trade or business as the employee or agent of a person licensed under this chapter while the employee or agent is under the actual direction, supervision and control of his or her employer.
(2) 
Any person engaged in such trade or business or such person's actual employees or agents pursuant to a contract or subcontract for such services with any federal, state or local governmental agency or authority.
(3) 
Any person engaged in the rendering of landscaping, gardening or grounds-keeping services pursuant to and within the scope of his or her duties and responsibilities as an employee of any governmental agency or authority or as the private employee of any owner, tenant or occupant of land solely while in or upon the lands owned, leased or occupied by his or her employer.
(4) 
Any person who renders or performs necessary or related landscaping, gardening or grounds-keeping services incidental to the erection, construction, renovation, alteration or demolition of any building or structure pursuant to building permits, construction contracts or other regulations or requirements.
Every person desiring to procure a license and/or accessory vehicle permit required by this chapter or who is required to file a copy of a reciprocal license as required by § 126-3C of this chapter shall file a written application and copies of all other necessary documents and shall pay all fees and charges therefor to the Village Clerk, in accordance with the provisions of § 126-5 hereof.
The fee for a commercial landscape gardener's license and for each accessory vehicle permit shall be as provided in Chapter 93, Fees.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
A. 
A person licensed pursuant to this chapter shall at all times keep a copy of such license on his or her person and/or at the site at which such person is rendering any landscaping, gardening or grounds-keeping services and shall immediately produce such copy for inspection by any person lawfully requesting the production of the license, including but not limited to any peace or police officer and any inspector, official or employee of the village or other government agency or authority.
B. 
Every motor vehicle and towable device required to have an accessory vehicle permit pursuant to this chapter shall have such permit conspicuously affixed to the same and shall have the name, trade name or other business name of the permit holder, together with the business address and phone number of the same, plainly, legibly and conspicuously painted or imprinted in letters and figures each at least two inches in height and at least one inch in width on each side of every motor vehicle or towable device whenever the same is located and used within the village.
No person, whether or not licensed, required to be licensed or otherwise exempt from licensure under the provisions of this chapter, shall:
A. 
Commence or continue the performance of any landscaping, gardening or grounds-keeping services between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. prevailing time.
B. 
Use any gas, diesel, electric or other machine or device which emits noise and fumes in the performance of any landscaping, gardening or grounds-keeping services unless such device is affixed with a muffler and exhaust emissions control device manufactured and originally installed on such machine or device by the manufacturer or distributor of such equipment.
C. 
Use any blower or similar device to move, scatter, gather, disperse or place any dirt, soil, plant waste, lawn or grass clippings, litter, debris or other refuse of any kind in, on or upon any public street, sidewalk or other public place or in or upon the private lands or private property of any person without the prior authorization and consent of the governing authority or the owner of such public street, sidewalk or public place or the owner of such private lands or property, and in any such event all materials shall immediately be gathered and placed in sealed receptacles designed and intended to hold the same and removed and disposed of at the cost and expense of the person performing such service or activity.
D. 
Fail to remove all lawn or grass clippings, dirt, soil, plant waste, debris or other landscape material from the site and dispose of the same in an authorized manner, at an authorized disposal site, in accordance with Chapter 187, Solid Waste, Article I, Sanitation Regulations, of this Code.
Applications for licenses and renewal of licenses, together with all required fees, shall be filed with the Village Clerk during the month of December, and such licenses shall expire on the 31st day of December of the year next ensuing, unless sooner revoked. In the event that an application is filed after December 31, then the applicant shall pay a late charge as provided in Chapter 93, Fees.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
No license shall be issued to a person if a prior license issued hereunder to such person or to a firm, partnership or corporation of which such person was a principal was revoked, except upon good cause shown by such person at a hearing before the Board of Trustees, when requested by such person.
In addition to the penalties set forth in § 126-11, the Board of Trustees may revoke or suspend any license issued pursuant to this chapter after notice to the licensee and a reasonable opportunity to be heard. The Board of Trustees may take such action if, in its discretion, such action is warranted due to a violation by the licensee or his or her employees of any provisions of this chapter or of any other village law or ordinance.