[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Delanco 10-12-1971 by Ord. No. 19-1971 as Ch 45 of the 1971 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Amended 10-4-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-18]
A. 
It shall be unlawful for any owner or owners, occupant or occupants, tenant or tenants of any lot or tract of land situate within the Township of Delanco to permit or maintain on any such lot or tract of land any brush, weeds, dead or dying trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious growth, filth, garbage, trash and debris, injurious to the public health, safety and general welfare, or where the same shall tend to create a fire hazard. It shall be unlawful for any property owner to permit any grass, weeds, bushes or other vegetation to become overgrown. Grass and weeds shall be kept trimmed to a height of six inches or less at all times.
B. 
Ornamental-style grasses used as landscaping or in gardens shall be excluded from this section except where said ornamental-style grasses interfere with required roadway sight triangles and roadway intersection line of sight.
[Amended 1-19-1998 by Ord. No. 1-1998]
Any owner or owners, occupant or occupants, tenant or tenants who shall neglect to cut and remove or otherwise destroy such brush, weeds, dead or dying trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious growth, filth, garbage, trash and debris as directed by this chapter shall, upon conviction before the Judge of the Municipal Court of the Township of Delanco, be punishable as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article II, General Penalty. Each day shall constitute a separate violation.
Upon the failure of any owner or owners, occupant or occupants, tenant or tenants to cut and remove or otherwise destroy such brush, weeds, dead or dying trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious growth, filth, garbage, trash and debris within 10 days after notice to remove the same has been received from said Township of Delanco, which notice may be effected by personal service or by mail, registered return receipt requested, said Township may cause the same to be removed under the direction of an officer of the Township to be appointed by the Township Committee, and such officer shall certify the cause thereof to the governing body, which shall examine the certificate and, if found correct, shall cause the cost as shown thereon to be charged against said land and premises and shall be added to and become and form part of the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon such land, the same to bear interest at the same rate as taxes, and shall be collected and enforced by the same officers and in the same manner as taxes.
This chapter shall be enforced by the regular and special police officers of the Township of Delanco and such other municipal officials of the Township that may be appointed by resolution of the Township Committee.
[Amended 10-15-1984 by Ord. No. 10-1984; 10-4-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-18]
A. 
The imposition and collection of a fine or jail sentence imposed pursuant to this chapter shall not bar the Township from proceeding under the provisions of § 135-3 of this chapter and charging the costs thereof against the offending land and premises.
B. 
The costs so charged shall be calculated on the basis of actual expense incurred by the Township.
C. 
The costs shall be added to and become part of the taxes next assessed and levied against such lands, which shall bear interest at the same rate as taxes and shall be collected and enforced by the same municipal officers that collect municipal taxes.
[Added 8-7-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-11]
The Township has a current program for servicing the removal of residential leaves, brush, limbs and stumps. The purpose of this program is to assist residents with general maintenance for the removal of dead foliage from their properties. The intent of this chapter is to prevent against abuse of this service.
Any resident seeking collection under this chapter must call the Department of Public Works to be placed on the collection list by 3:00 p.m. on the Friday prior to the start of each monthly collection cycle. Collection will occur from March to September during the last full week of the month, Saturdays and Sundays excluded. Brush, limbs and stumps shall be placed out for collection no sooner than the weekend before the Monday of the start of the collection cycle, but no later than 6:00 a.m. on the Monday of the start of the collection week.
All leaves, brush, limbs and stumps shall be placed curbside, but not on the paved surface of the right-of-way, nor on the abutting sidewalk, if one exists. Items left for municipal service that are left in the right-of-way or on the sidewalk will not be serviced and will be in violation of this chapter.
Each residential unit shall be permitted to place a pile of leaves, brush, limbs and stumps curbside for municipal collection facing in the same direction not to exceed three feet in width, by eight feet in length by three feet in height. The Township reserves the right to reject pickup of larger piles or for piles that take more than 20 minutes to remove. The Department of Public Works shall notify a resident of such rejection(s), and the resident shall undertake the removal of the debris privately within 10 days thereafter. Any pile that exceeds any of the above parameters will not be serviced and will be in violation of this chapter.
No more than two stumps may be placed curbside for municipal collection. Stumps placed curbside for municipal collection shall be no more than 14 inches in diameter and shall be cleared of dirt from the roots. Limbs or small trees placed curbside for municipal collection shall not exceed four inches in diameter. Any items placed curbside that exceed any of the above parameters will not be serviced and will in violation of this chapter.
A. 
The provisions of this chapter may be enforced by the Township Police and the Township Code Enforcement Officer. The Department of Public Works is directed to notify the Code Enforcement Officer where it believes there is a violation of this chapter.
B. 
Violation of the provisions of Article II of this chapter shall be punishable in accord with the general penalty provisions at § 1-14 of the Township Code.