[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Chosen Freeholders of Mercer
County 9-27-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-6. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Pursuant to P.L. 2020, c. 67, effective 1-1-2021, the Code
of Mercer County has been amended to delete the term “Board
of Chosen Freeholders” and replace it with the term “Board
of County Commissioners.” In addition, the terms “Freeholder”
and “Chosen Freeholder” have been deleted and replaced
by the term “County Commissioner.”]
If any structure, such as, but not limited to, a fence, garden,
patio, deck, children's playset, drain, shed, or any fabricated or
erected structure encroaches onto County property from abutting private
property, and the owner of the abutting private property fails to
remove such structure within 60 days after written notice from the
County or one of its agencies or commissions, the County shall remove
such structure or encroachment, or cause it to be removed from County
property.
Owners of the properties discovered to have a prohibited structure
or encroachment existing on County land shall be notified by certified
mail, return receipt requested, and regular mail that the structure
is to be removed by the property owner by a designated date. Notice
for removal can also be made by posting a copy of the notice on the
house, residence, building, or primary structure of the property,
or on the offending structure to be removed. Failure to comply and
remove the prohibited structure or encroachment by the designated
date shall result in the removal of the structure or encroachment
and disposal, if appropriate, by the County. All costs incurred by
the County to perform the work shall be billed to, and be the responsibility
of, the property owner.
No person shall dump, deposit or leave yard waste, vegetation
or shrubs or plants or other flora that have been cut down, garbage,
bottles, broken glass, appliances, wastepaper, rubbish, trash or any
other debris or foreign matter on County property, except in a properly
provided receptacle designated for that purpose. No person shall throw,
dump, deposit, leave or place any foreign debris or waste substance
in any lake, river or lagoon within or bordering upon County property.
No person shall dump, deposit, leave, throw, cast, lay or drop, discharge
into, or allow to remain in a County waterway, or of any tributary
brook, stream or storm sewer or drain flowing into said County waters,
any substance, matter or thing, which may or shall result in the pollution
of said waters.
No person shall remove or pick flowers, foliage, berries or
fruit, or cut, break, dig up, or in any way mutilate or injure any
tree, shrub, plant, fern, grass, or turf within County property. No
person shall dig up or remove any dirt, stone, rock or other substance
whatsoever, or make any excavation or quarry sand or stone, or cause
or assist in doing any of the said things, on County property. No
person shall cut the grass, weeds or any plant growth on County property,
or cut down and/or remove any vegetation on County property.
Any person violating any of the provisions of § 5.04.030 or 5.04.040 herein shall be subject to pay a fine not exceeding $200 (N.J.S.A. 40:24-2). The County reserves the right to impose any administrative restraints upon any person or persons that it determines has violated this ordinance, including but not limited to restriction on accessibility and use of County parks, facilities, programs and grounds.
