[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Council of the Township of East Brunswick 6-14-65 as Ord. No. 65-21 and as Secs. 4-6.2 through 4-6.5 of the Revised General Ordinances; amended in its entirety 12-9-68 by Ord. No. 68-121. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
[Amended 6-28-76 by Ord. No. 76-95-F; 10-23-78 by Ord. No. 78-76; 8-14-89 by Ord. No. 89-48]
Whenever the Chief of Public Safety, (or) his designee(s), or the Code Enforcement Officer shall determine that it is necessary and expedient for the preservation of the public health, safety and general welfare, or to eliminate fire hazard, to remove from any lands in the township brush, weeds, dead and dying trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious growth, filth, garbage, trash, junk, debris or other waste materials, the owner or tenant shall be required to remove the same within ten (10) days after receipt of written notice from the Chief Building Inspector or the Chief of Public Safety, or the Code Enforcement Officer requiring the removal.
[Amended 10-23-78 by Ord. No. 78-76]
A. 
It is hereby found and determined that plant life more than two and one-half (2-1/2) feet in height, growing within ten (10) feet of any roadway or within twenty-five (25) feet of the intersection of any roadways in the township, may constitute a traffic hazard. For the purpose of this section, "plant life" shall mean and include trees, hedges, shrubbery, brush and other plant life.
B. 
Whenever the Chief of Public Safety or his designee(s) shall determine that plant life more than two and one-half (2-1/2) feet in height, growing within ten (10) feet of any roadway or within twenty-five (25) feet of the intersection of any roadways in the township, constitutes a traffic hazard, the owner or tenant shall be required to cut the plant life to a height of not more than two and one-half (2-1/2) feet within ten (10) days after receipt of written notice from the Chief of Public Safety or his designee(s) requiring the cutting.
C. 
Whenever the Chief of Public Safety or his designee(s) shall determine that plant life more than two and one-half (2-1/2) feet in height, growing within ten (10) feet of any roadway or within twenty-five (25) feet of the intersection of any roadways in the township, constitutes a serious traffic hazard that potentially threatens the safety of the public, the owner or tenant shall be required to cut the plant life to a height of not more than two and one-half (2-1/2) feet within twenty-four (24) hours after receipt of personal notice from the Chief of Public Safety or his designee(s) requiring the cutting.
[Added 6-24-2024 by Ord. No. 24-15]
[Amended 6-28-76 by Ord. No. 76-95-F; 8-14-89 by Ord. No. 89-48; 6-24-2024 by Ord. No. 24-15]
Notice may be served upon any owner or tenant, either personally or by certified mail, return receipt requested, and, if by certified mail, the ten-day period within which the removal or cutting shall be accomplished shall be deemed to have commenced or run from the date of the postmark on the return receipt. In a case of plant life that constitutes a serious traffic hazard that potentially threatens the safety of the public, the twenty-four-hour period within which the removal or cutting shall be accomplished shall be deemed to have commenced or run from the date and time of the attempted personal notification. Every notice shall, in addition to requiring the removal or cutting as aforesaid, warn the owner or tenant of the lands to which it refers that failure to accomplish the removal or cutting will result in the removal or cutting by a private contractor as appointed and directed by the Township. The notice shall also state that in the event of the removal or cutting as directed the cost of the removal shall forthwith become a lien upon the lands and shall be added to and become a part of the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon the lands, the same to bear interest at the same rate and be collected and enforced in the same manner as taxes.
[Amended 6-28-76 by Ord. No. 76-95-F; 8-14-89 by Ord. No. 89-48]
Whenever the owner or tenant of any lands receiving such notice shall neglect or refuse to remove the brush, weeds, dead and dying trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious growth, filth, garbage, trash, junk, debris or other waste materials or cutting the plant life within the time hereinabove provided, the removal shall be accomplished by (or) a private contractor, under the direction of the Code Enforcement Officer, who, upon completion thereof, shall certify the cost to the Council. The Council shall examine the certificate and, if it shall find the same to be correct, cause the cost thereof to be charged against the lands. The amount of the charge shall forthwith become a lien upon the lands and shall be added to and become and form a part of the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon the lands, to bear interest at the same rate as taxes and to be collected and enforced by the same officers and in the same manner as taxes.
[Added 1-12-76 by Ord. No. 76-95-E]
The owner or tenant of all lands, abutting upon public roads, sidewalks and gutters of such roads shall remove all grass, all weeds and impediments therefrom within three (3) days after receiving notice to remove same and shall remove all grass, weeds and impediments from the portion of any street or roadway abutting on such lands in accordance with the provisions of N.J.R.S. 40:65-12, which does not require a prior finding by the municipality that such action is necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety and general welfare or is necessary to eliminate a fire hazard.