A. 
Weeds and rubbish, refuse, and dirt upon parkways, sidewalks, or private property in the City are declared to be public nuisance.
B. 
Cultivated and useful grasses and pastures shall not be declared a public nuisance. However, if the Fire Chief or authorized representative determines that a firebreak is necessary to protect adjacent improved property from fire exposures, an adequate firebreak shall be required as determined by the Fire Chief or representative.
(Prior code § 14C-1-1)
"Weeds"
shall mean any of the following:
A. 
Weeds which bear seeds of a downy or wingy nature.
B. 
Sagebrush, chaparral, and any other brush or weeds which attain such large growth as to become, when dry, a fire menace to adjacent improved property.
C. 
Weeds which are otherwise noxious or dangerous.
D. 
Poison oak and poison ivy when the conditions of growth are such as to constitute a menace to the public health.
E. 
Dry grass, stubble, brush, litter, or other flammable material which endangers the public safety by creating a fire hazard.
(Prior code § 14C-1-2)
A. 
Whenever the Fire Chief or authorized representative finds, upon the recommendation of a duly authorized representative of the Fire Department, that a nuisance as defined in this chapter exists on any lot or premises, or upon any sidewalk, parking or street adjacent to such lot or premises, he or she may declare such weeds as a public nuisance. Such declaration shall be documented in a writing signed by the Fire Chief. Any number of streets, parcels or sidewalks may be declared to be nuisances in a single declaration.
B. 
In addition, the Fire Chief may declare that weeds on a specific parcel are seasonal and recurrent nuisances. Such seasonal and recurrent nuisances shall be abated in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, provided, that upon the second and any subsequent occurrence of such nuisance on the same parcel or parcels within the same calendar year, no further hearings need be held and it shall be sufficient to mail a post card notice to the owners of the property as they and their addresses appear upon the current assessment roll.
The notice shall refer to and describe the property and shall state that noxious or dangerous weeds of a seasonal and recurrent nature are growing on or in front of the property, and that the same constitute a public nuisance which must be abated by the removal of said noxious or dangerous weeds, and that otherwise they will be removed and the nuisance will be abated by the City authorities, in which case the cost of such removal shall be assessed upon the parcel and lands from which or in front of which such weeds are removed and that upon confirmation such cost will constitute a lien or special assessment upon such parcel or lands until paid.
In addition, the Fire Chief may require the owner to conduct preventive abatement of such seasonal and recurrent nuisance. In such event, the notice required by this subsection shall also state that the efficient and economical control of such seasonal and recurrent nuisance requires preventive chemical control of such weeds, weed seeds and weed seedlings and that the City may require preventive chemical control of such nuisance. In the event the City is once required to abate such nuisance the City may, in addition, before and during the next following germinating season of such weeds, provide for the preventive abatement of such nuisance by using chemical control of such weeds.
(Prior code § 14C-1-3)
A. 
Upon issuance of the declaration in Section 9.44.030, the Code Compliance Officer or such other City official as may be designated shall post notices in substantially the form set forth in subsection B below in the manner as set forth in subsection C of this section.
B. 
Notices shall be in substantially the following form:
NOTICE TO DESTROY WEEDS AND REMOVE RUBBISH, REFUSE, AND DIRT
Notice is hereby given that on the ______ day of ________, 20__, the Woodland Fire Chief declared that noxious or dangerous weeds were growing upon or in front of the property on this street, and that rubbish, refuse, and dirt were upon or in front of property on this street, in ______, and more particularly described in the declaration, and that they constitute a public nuisance which must be abated by the removal of the weeds, rubbish, refuse, and dirt. Otherwise they will be removed and the nuisance abated by the City and the cost of removal assessed upon the land from or in front of which the weeds are removed and will constitute a lien upon such land until paid. Reference is hereby made to the declaration for further particulars. A copy of said declaration is on file in the office of the City Clerk.
All property owners having any objections to the proposed removal of the weeds, rubbish, refuse, and dirt are hereby notified to attend a hearing to be held (give date), when their objections will be heard and given due consideration.
Dated this ______day of _____, 20__.
________________________
Code Compliance Officer
C. 
The notice shall be posted at least five days before the hearing in the following locations:
1. 
One notice to each separately owned parcel of property of not over 50 feet frontage.
2. 
Not more than two notices to any such parcel of 100 feet frontage or less.
3. 
Notices at not more than 100 feet apart if the frontage of such a parcel is greater than 100 feet.
D. 
As an alternative to subsection C, the Code Compliance Officer may mail notice to each person to whom such described property is assessed in the last equalized assessment roll available on the date the declaration was signed by the Fire Chief. Such notice shall be mailed at least five days before the hearing.
(Prior code § 14C-1-4)
At the time and place stated in the notice, the Fire Chief or authorized representative shall hear and consider all relevant evidence, objections or protests and shall receive testimony of property owners, lessees, occupants, witnesses, City personnel and interested persons relative to such alleged public nuisance and to proposed abatement measures. The hearing may be continued from time to time.
(Prior code § 14C-1-6)
Following the public hearing, the Fire Chief or authorized representative shall consider all evidence and determine whether or not the property, or any part of the property, constitutes a public nuisance as alleged. If the Fire Chief or authorized representative finds that a public nuisance does exist and that there is sufficient cause to abate the nuisance, the Fire Chief or authorized representative shall make a written order setting forth those findings and ordering the owner, agent of the owner, lessee, occupant or other person having charge or control of the property to abate the nuisance in the manner and by the means specifically set forth in the Fire Chief's or authorized representative's order. The order shall state that if the nuisance is not abated, it will be abated by the City. The order shall state that the cost of abatement will be assessed upon the property from which the nuisance is removed and will constitute a lien or special assessment upon the property until paid. The order shall set forth the time within which the work shall be commenced and completed. A copy of the order shall be mailed to the owner of the property.
(Prior code § 14C-1-7)
The property owner, lessee, occupant or person having charge or control of the property, may, at his or her own expense, abate the nuisance as prescribed by the order of the Fire Chief or authorized representative prior to the expiration of the abatement period set forth in the order. If the nuisance has been inspected by the representative of the Fire Department and has been abated in accordance with the order, the proceedings shall be terminated. Any costs incurred by the City up to the owner's abatement may be recovered by the City as provided in this chapter.
(Prior code § 14C-1-8)
If a declared nuisance is not completely abated by the owner, lessee, occupant or person having charge or control of the property within the time prescribed in the Fire Chief's or authorized representative's order, the Fire Chief, the Code Compliance Officer, or any designated City official, is authorized to cause the nuisance to be abated by City forces or private contract. In furtherance of this section, the Fire Chief, the Code Compliance Officer or any designated agent is expressly authorized to enter upon the premises for the purpose of abating the nuisance.
(Prior code § 14C-1-9)
The Code Compliance Officer or such other City official as may be designated, shall keep an account of the costs (including incidental expenses) of abating such nuisance on each separate lot or parcel of land where work is done and shall tender an itemized report, in writing, to the Fire Chief or authorized representative, showing the cost of abatement of each parcel and same shall be filed with the Fire Chief or authorized representative.
(Prior code § 14C-1-10)
The Fire Chief or authorized representative shall set a hearing to determine the correctness and reasonableness of the account of the costs. An invoice for the costs shall be mailed to the owner of said parcels with notice of the time and date when the report shall be heard by the Fire Chief or authorized representative to determine the correctness and reasonableness of such costs. Such notice shall be mailed at least five days before such hearing.
(Prior code § 14C-1-11)
At the time and place fixed for receiving and considering the report, the Fire Chief, or an authorized representative shall hear and pass upon the report of such costs of abatement, together with any objections or protests. Thereupon, the Fire Chief, or the authorized representative may make such revision, correction or modification in the report as he or she may deem just, after which, by motion, the report, as submitted or as revised, corrected or modified, shall be confirmed. The decision of the Fire Chief, or the authorized representative on all protests and objections which may be made, shall be final and conclusive, unless appealed in accordance with this chapter.
(Prior code § 14C-1-12)
The total cost for abating such nuisance, as confirmed by the Fire Chief, or the authorized representative shall constitute a special assessment against the respective lot or parcel of land to which it relates, and/or upon recordation in the office of the County Recorder of a notice of lien as so made and confirmed, shall constitute a lien on the property for the amount of such assessment. Such lien or special assessment shall be imposed in the manner provided in Government Code Sections 39577 through 39585.
(Prior code § 14C-1-13)
A. 
Whenever any person is aggrieved by any final order of the Fire Chief, or an authorized representative issued pursuant to Section 9.44.070 or the confirmation of costs pursuant to Section 9.44.120, such person may appeal to the City Council the issuance of said order or confirmation by filing a written notice of appeal therefrom with the City Council no later than 10 days from the date of the decision.
B. 
The written notice of appeal shall be filed in duplicate with the City Clerk and shall state the grounds for such appeal and the specific factual and/or legal errors committed by the Fire Chief, or the authorized representative in issuing its order or confirmation.
C. 
The City Clerk shall forthwith transmit one copy of said notice of appeal to the Fire Chief, or authorized representative.
D. 
The Fire Chief, or the authorized representative of either, shall transmit to the City Council, no later than 20 days from receipt of the notice of appeal, the original declaration and copies of all other papers constituting the record upon which the decision was taken, including, but not limited to, the minutes of all hearings thereon, and shall submit to the City Council a written report, prepared from the record upon which the final determination was made, stating the factual and legal basis on which the Fire Chief or the authorized representative reached his or her decision.
E. 
The City Council may, by resolution, affirm, reverse or modify, in whole or in part, any final determination, assessment, or order of the Fire Chief or authorized representative which is appealed from. After reviewing the proceedings relating to the decision appealed from, including, but not limited to, minutes of hearings, notice of appeal and the report of the Fire Chief, or authorized representative, the City Council, by resolution, may affirm without further action the determination, assessment, or order appealed from.
F. 
The City Council may not affirm, reverse, or modify the Fire Chief's, or authorized representative's final determination which is appealed until it has held a hearing thereon, said hearing being set and notice thereof being given. The City Council, by resolution, after the completion of said hearing, which it may continue for any reason it deems proper and reasonable, may reverse or modify, in whole or in put, any final decision, assessment, or order of the Fire Chief, or the authorized representative of either.
G. 
On the date a notice of appeal is filed under this section, all proceedings in furtherance of the determination or order appealed from shall be stayed until the final determination by the City Council of the appeal.
H. 
All decisions of the Fire Chief, or the authorized representative of either shall be final unless appealed within the time prescribed herein.
(Prior code § 14C-1-14)
Nothing in the foregoing sections shall be deemed to prevent the City Council from ordering the City Attorney to commence a civil or criminal proceeding to abate a public nuisance under applicable civil or penal code provisions as an alternative to the proceedings set forth herein.
(Prior code § 14C-1-15)