For the purpose of this article, the following definitions shall apply, unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning:
Code enforcement officer.
The town official duly registered with the state with authority to enforce various municipal and states codes.
Cultivated.
Vegetation that is deliberately grown and currently and continuously maintained by the owner, occupant, or agent of the property.
Habitable structure.
A structure suitable for human habitation or occupation, including but not limited to single or multifamily residences, hotels, condominium buildings, public buildings, buildings for business, office, retail, commercial or industrial purposes and enclosed spaces in which individuals congregate for education, worship, amusement, or similar purposes, or in which occupants are engaged in labor, which is equipped with means of egress, light and ventilation facilities. A habitable structure includes living quarters for the owners, guests, renters, or persons regularly employed on the premises, but shall not include other accessory structures such as detached garages and sheds. Any structure for which a certificate of occupancy is required shall be deemed to be a habitable structure.
Landscaping improvement.
All landscaping borders, structures, containers, appurtenances or other additions to real property including but not limited to flower beds and those living plant screens in compliance with section 14.02.012 of this code.
Native grass.
Grasses that are native to the county as determined by the County’s AgriLife Extension Agent for Horticulture. A list of approved native grasses is found in appendix A at the end of this article and is maintained by the town’s code enforcement officer.
Native wildflowers.
Seasonal flowering vegetation native to the county as determined by the County’s AgriLife Extension Agent for Horticulture. A list of approved native wildflowers is found in appendix B at the end of this article and is maintained by the town’s code enforcement officer.
Real property.
Includes, but is not limited to, the area on a lot or parcel of land between the sidewalk and the curb, and includes any area on a lot or parcel of land designated as a utility or drainage easement.
Rubbish.
Shall include but not be limited to the debris left upon properties after any building or other structures on such properties have been:
(1) 
Destroyed by fire or other calamity and the same not restored to its original or better condition or removed from the property within 90 days from the date of such destruction;
(2) 
Intentionally wrecked or demolished by the owner;
(3) 
Moved from such property to another location; and/or
(4) 
Vacated by a prior owner or tenant.
Street right-of-way.
Includes:
(1) 
Land dedicated to the town or to public or utility use by plat or by any dedication deed or other instrument of conveyance, or whether held by the town or the public as an easement, in fee simple, or otherwise, as well as land that qualifies as a prescriptive easement, or prescriptive right-of-way, for the construction, use or maintenance of a public street or roadway, and for other public or utility uses typically associated with streets and roadways, including but not limited to sidewalks and/or adjacent areas included in such dedication or prescriptive use; and
(2) 
Private roadways over or upon which the town has any right of access by easement or otherwise.
Weeds.
All vegetation that, because of its height, is objectionable, unsightly or unsanitary, but excluding shrubs, bushes, vines, and trees, and regularly cultivated crops as permitted by a property’s zoning district.
(Ordinance 2014-3-4B adopted 3/4/14)
Any person violating the provisions of this article, which violation continues after notice is given as set forth in this article, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined not to exceed the sum of $2,000.00 for each offense. This section shall be in addition to and cumulative of the provisions for the abatement of the nuisance and charging the cost of same against the owner of the premises by the town.
(Ordinance 2014-3-4B adopted 3/4/14)
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship or any other entity recognized in law owning, leasing, claiming, occupying or having supervision or control of any real property, improved or unimproved, within the corporate limits of the town, to permit or allow:
(1) 
Grass or weeds to grow or brush to accumulate on real property to a height greater than 12 inches upon any such real property located within 150 feet of any building, structure, or street right-of-way.
(2) 
Exemptions to the maximum height requirement in subsection (1) above, are as follows:
(A) 
Exemption for landscaping improvements.
Grass that is used for a decorative purpose and that is a part of or that lies within a planned and orderly landscaping improvement to a property including but not limited to flower beds and those living plant screens in compliance with section 14.02.012 of this code, provided that said landscaping improvement has a continuously and well-maintained border that clearly separates the landscaping improvement from those areas of the property with no landscaping improvement. All grass that is part of or that lies within a landscaping improvement must be maintained in such a manner as to not become a nuisance as defined or described in section 8.02.001, et seq. of this code. The town’s code enforcement officer or his or her designated representative shall have the authority to determine whether or not grass claimed under this exemption is in compliance with the stipulations outlined within this exemption as well as whether or not the grass is considered a nuisance as per section 8.02.001, et seq. of this code.
(B) 
Exemption for native grass areas and native wildflower areas.
Certain areas of approved native grasses found in appendix A at the end of this article and/or approved native wildflowers found in appendix B at the end of this article, provided that they are cultivated, continuously maintained, and cut as necessary to maintain proper care of the specific grasses and/or wildflowers used in the area. This exemption shall only be granted if the area is comprised of at least 75% of grasses and flowers listed in appendix A and/or appendix B (“the 75% requirement”), and all portions of said area are at least twenty (20) feet removed from any: (i) property line shared with a property under different ownership when the property under different ownership has any permanent habitable structure located within fifty (50) feet of the side or rear property lines of the property containing the native grass area or native wildflower area; (ii) street right-of-way; and (iii) easements along public and private roadways. Native grass and/or native wildflower areas must be maintained in such a manner as to not become a nuisance as defined in section 8.02.001 of this code. The town’s code enforcement officer or his or her designated representative shall have the authority to determine whether or not the native grass and/or native wildflower area claimed under this exemption is in compliance with the stipulations outlined within this exemption as well as whether or not the area is considered a nuisance as per section 8.02.001 of this code. The 75% requirement and the 20-foot distance requirements set forth in this subsection (b) shall not apply to property owned or maintained by the town.
(3) 
Any trash, rubbish or any other type of objectionable material or unsightly or unsanitary matter (including, without way of limitation, stacks of old lumber, scrap materials, demolished or partly demolished buildings or structures, piles of stone, bricks, broken rock, or fence panels) to accumulate on occupied or unoccupied real property, notwithstanding that such persons did not permit such accumulation upon such property;
(4) 
Junked or otherwise inoperable motor vehicles to be stored, parked, or otherwise kept on any real property not zoned for that specific purpose, except, however, that such vehicles may be stored, parked, or otherwise kept if they are situated such that they are not visible from any other private property or from any public property, right-of-way, or easement;
(5) 
The overnight parking of more than one commercial vehicle at, or on a public street adjacent to, any residential property; or
(6) 
The use of outside storage facilities such as PODS, or the storage of materials or products not normally used or stored outdoors, for a period of more than thirty (30) days in any single calendar year.
(Ordinance 2014-3-4B adopted 3/4/14)
(a) 
It shall be the duty of any person owning, claiming, occupying or having supervision or control of any such real property, as provided for herein, to cut and remove all such grass, weeds, brush and other objectionable or unsightly matter as often as may be necessary to comply with section 6.04.003.
(b) 
No cut grass, weeds, etc., shall be allowed to accumulate on any public right-of-way nor shall such grass, weeds, etc., be deposited or allowed to be deposited into the storm sewer or sanitary sewer system.
(Ordinance 2014-3-4B adopted 3/4/14)
It shall be the duty of any person owning, claiming, occupying or having supervision or control of any real property, occupied or unoccupied, within the corporate limits of the town, to keep such property free from stagnant water, rubbish, trash, filth, carrion or other impure or unwholesome matter of any kind, and to keep the sidewalks in front of his property free and clear of the same, and, to fill up, drain or regrade any lots, ground or yards which shall be unwholesome or have stagnant water therein, and to cleanse and disinfect any house, building, establishment, lot, yard or ground from rubbish, trash, filth, carrion or other impure or unwholesome matter of any kind.
(Ordinance 2014-3-4B adopted 3/4/14)
(a) 
In the event that any person, corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship or other entity recognized in law owning, claiming, occupying or having supervision or control of any real property, occupied or unoccupied, improved or unimproved, within the corporate limits of the town fails to comply with the provisions of this article, the town may give at least ten days’ notice in writing to such person of the violation of this article. Such notice must be given:
(1) 
Personally to the owner in writing;
(2) 
By letter addressed to the owner at the owner’s post office address;
(3) 
If personal service cannot be obtained or the owner’s post office address is unknown:
(A) 
By publication at least twice within ten consecutive days;
(B) 
By posting the notice on or near the front door of each building on the property to which the violation relates; or
(C) 
By posting the notice on a placard attached to a stake driven into the ground on the property to which the violation relates, if the property contains no buildings.
(b) 
If the owner of property fails or refuses to comply with the provisions of this article within ten days of notice of a violation, the town may go upon such property and do or cause to be done the work necessary to obtain compliance with this article, and may pay for the work done or improvements made and charge the expenses incurred in doing or having same done to the owner of such property.
(c) 
The town may, in the notice of a violation, inform the owner by certified mail, return receipt requested, that, if the owner of the property commits another violation of the same kind or nature that poses a danger to the public health and safety on or before the first anniversary of the date of the notice, the town without further notice may correct the violation at the owner’s expense and assess the expense against the property. If a violation covered by a notice occurs within the one-year period, and the town has not been notified by the owner of an ownership change, then the town without notice may take any action permitted by subsections (a) and (b) of this section and assess its expenses as provided by this section.
(Ordinance 2014-3-4B adopted 3/4/14)
The actual expenses, including administrative costs, incurred by the town in enforcing the terms and provisions of this article shall be paid to the town. In the event this amount is not paid, the amount due shall be charged to and become a lien on the real estate on which the work is done or improvements made.
(Ordinance 2014-3-4B adopted 3/4/14)
(a) 
The town council may assess expenses incurred under section 6.04.006(b) of this article against the real estate on which the work is done or improvements made.
(b) 
To obtain a lien against the property, the mayor, town health authority, or other town official designated by the mayor must file a statement of expenses with the county clerk. The lien statement must state the name of the owner, if known, and the legal description of the property.
(c) 
The lien obtained by the town council is security for the expenditures made and interest accruing at the rate of 10% on the amount due from the date of expenses incurred by the town.
(d) 
The lien is inferior only to:
(1) 
Tax liens; and
(2) 
Liens for street improvements.
(e) 
The town council may bring a suit for foreclosure in the name of the town to recover the expenditures and interest due.
(f) 
The statement of expenses or a certified copy of the statement is prima facie proof of the expenses incurred by the town in doing the work or making the improvements.
(Ordinance 2014-3-4B adopted 3/4/14)
(a) 
The town may abate, without notice, weeds that:
(1) 
Have grown higher than 48 inches; and
(2) 
Are an immediate danger to the health, life, or safety of any person.
(b) 
Not later than the tenth day after the date the town abates weeds under this section, the town shall give notice to the property owner in the manner required by section 6.04.006(a).
(c) 
The notice shall contain:
(1) 
An identification, which is not required to be a legal description, of the property;
(2) 
A description of the violations of the ordinance that occurred on the property;
(3) 
A statement that the town abated the weeds; and
(4) 
An explanation of the property owner’s right to request an administrative hearing about the town’s abatement of the weeds.
(d) 
The town manager or the manager’s designee shall conduct an administrative hearing on the abatement of weeds under this section if, not later than the thirtieth day after the date of the abatement of the weeds, the property owner files with the town a written request for a hearing.
(e) 
An administrative hearing conducted under this section shall be conducted not later than the twentieth day after the date a request for a hearing is filed. The owner may testify or present any witnesses or written information relating to the town’s abatement of the weeds.
(f) 
The town may assess expenses and create liens under this section as it assesses expenses and creates liens under the other provisions of this article. A lien created under this section is subject to the same conditions as a lien created under section 6.04.008.
(g) 
The authority of the town described by this section is in addition to the authority granted by section 6.04.002.
(Ordinance 2014-3-4B adopted 3/4/14)
Any exemptions from section 6.04.003 by the town manager shall be requested in writing by the applicant. No exemption to this section shall be issued or renewed by the town manager for a period exceeding 14 days.
APPENDIX A. PERMITTED NATIVE GRASSES
Common Name
Botanical Name
Color
Little Bluestem
Schizachynum scoparium
Blue-green stems in August; red by Sept.
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Blue-green stems; fall foliage
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Blue-green blades, plume-like golden brown seedhead; deep orange to purple fall color
Eastern Grama
Tripsacum dactyloides
Purple stigmas, orange stamens.
Male and female flowers
Side-Oats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Purplish oat-like spikelets; bleach to a tan color in fall
Switch
Panicum virgatum
Reddish-purple seedhead. Fall color is pale yellow.
Buffalo
Buchloe dactyloides
Gray/green; tan in winter
Lindheimer’s Muhly
Muhlenberiga lindheimeri
Seedheads are silvery
Bushy Bluestem
Andropogon glomeratus
The sheaths surrounding the racemes take on orange-salmon color in fall
Inland Sea-Oats
Chasmanthium latifolium
Blue-green, bamboo-like leaves can turn bright yellow-gold in sunny sites in fall
APPENDIX B. PERMITTED NATIVE WILDFLOWERS
Common Name
Botanical Name
Flower Color
Hummingbird Bush
Anisacanthus wrightii
Red-orange
Wright’s Skullcap
Scutellaria wrightii
Blue, violet
Angel’s Trumpet
Daturia wrightii
White
Guara
Guara lindheimeri
Pink, white
Texas Star Daisy
Lindheimeri texana
Yellow
Phlox
Phlox drummondii
White/cream, red, pink, purple
Drummond’s Onion
Allium drummondii
White/cream, pink
Blazing Star
Liatris mucronata
Purple, pink
Bluebonnets
Lupinus sp.
White/cream, blue
Indian Paintbrushes
Castilleja indivisa
Creamy white to pale yellow, encircled by red/orange leaf-like bracts
Water Pennywort
Hydrocotle umbellata
White/cream
Fragrant Water Lily
Nymphaea odorata
White/cream
Pickerel Weed
Pontederia cordata
Lavender-blue
Turkscap
Malvaviscus drumondii
Red
Columbine
Aquilegia
Yellow
Dale’s Variety Heucher
Heuchera americana ‘Dale’s Variety’
Yellow
Horsemint Lemon Mint
Monarda citrioda
White, lavender, pink
False-Mint
Dicliptera brachiata
Pink, purple
Self-heal
Prunella vulgaris
Purple
Texas Blue Star
Amsonia ciliata
Light blue
Rose Mallow
Hibiscus moscheutos
White/cream
Mexican Gold Poppy
Eschscholzia mexicana
Golden yellow, orange
Standing Cypress
Ipomopsis rubra
Red
Sunflower
Helianthus annuus
Yellow
Partridge Pea
Chamaecrista fasciculata
Yellow
Texas Dandelion
Pyrrhopappus carolinianus
Yellow
Wild Hyacinth
Camassia scilloides
Purple
Dogtooth Violet
Ervthronium alba
White
Copper Lily
Habranthus texana Habranthus tubispathus
Dark yellow
Lady’s Tresses
Spiranthes cernua
White
Southern Swamp Lily
Crinum americana
White/cream
Yellow Star Grass
Hypoxis hirsuta
Yellow
Orange Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Orange
Antelope Horn
Asclepias asperula
Yellow
Striped/White Winecup
Callirhoe i. Var. lineariloba
White/pink stripes
Globe Mallow
Sphaeralcea angustifloia
Orange
Standing Winecup
Callirhoe digitata
White, red, purple
Heath
Aster erocoides
White
Willow Leaf Aster
Aster praealtus
Lavender, light blue
Calico Aster
Aster lateriflorus
White
Yellow Indian Blanket
Gaillardia aestivallis var. aestivallis
Yellow
Red Plume
Gaillardia ‘Red Plume’ pulchella
Red
Fire-Wheel/Indian Blanket
Gaillardia pulchella
Red, yellow
Sundance Blanket Flower
Gaillardia aristata
Red with yellow edges
Pallid
Echinacea pallida
Pale purple
White Swan Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
White
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Purple, pink
White Spiderwort
Tradescantia alba major
White
Little doll
Tradescantia ‘Little Doll’
Light blue
Concord Grape
Tradescantia ‘Concord Grape’
Purplish blue
Trans Pecos Primrose
Oenothera kunthiana
Whitish to pink
White Evening Primrose
Oenothera caespitosa
White/cream
Missouri Evening Primrose
Oenothera macrocarpa
Yellow
Showy Evening Primrose
Oenothera speciosa
Pink
Louisiana Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Blue, lavender
Roemer’s Phlox
Phlox roemeriana
Pink
Common Name
Botanical Name
Flower Color
Pitcher Sage
Salvia azurea
White/cream, blue
Tropical Sage
Salvia coccinea
White/cream, pink
Mt. Emory Sage
Salvia regla ‘Mt. Emory’
Red
Mealy Blue Sage
Salvia farinacea
Blue
Autumn Sage
Salvia greggii
White/cream, red, pink
Creekside Orange
Salvia greggii
Red/orange
Moonglow
Salvia greggii
Cream
White sage
Salvia apiana
White with a little lavender
Texas Betony
Stachys coccinea
Red
Hummingbird Mint
Agastache cana
Pink
Hummingbird Mint
Agastache neomexicana
Lavender pink
St. John’s Wort
Hypericum calycinum
Yellow
Baptisia
Baptisia australis var. minor
Blue, purple
Texas Bird Pepper
Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum
White
White Prickly Poppy
Argemone albiflora
White
White Prairie Clover
Dalea candida
White
Larkspur
Delphimium consolida
White, pink, red, blue to violet
(Ordinance 2014-3-4B adopted 3/4/14)