It shall be unlawful for any owner of any lot or land in the City to permit or maintain on any such lot or land or on or along the sidewalk or street adjacent to the same between the property line and the curb or middle of the street, or for 10 feet outside the property line, if there be no curb, any growth of weeds, grass or other rank vegetation to a greater height than 12 inches on the average, or any accumulation of dead weeds, grass or brush. It shall also be unlawful for any owner to cause, suffer or allow poison ivy, ragweed or other poisonous plants or plants detrimental to health to grow on any such lot or land in such manner that any part of such ivy, ragweed or other poisonous or harmful weed shall extend upon, overhang or border any public place, or allow seed, pollen or other poisonous particles or emanations therefrom to be carried through the air into any public place.
It shall be the duty of the owner of any lot or land to cut and remove or cause to be cut and removed all such weeds, grass or other rank, poisonous or harmful vegetation as often as may be necessary to comply with the provisions of the preceding section, provided that cutting and removing such weeds, grass and vegetation at least once in every three weeks between May 15 and September 15 shall be deemed to be a compliance with this article; and provided further that the provisions herein contained for the complete clearance from land of grass, weeds and other poisonous or harmful vegetation shall apply only to lots or plots of one acre or less, and as to all other parcels, there must be a minimum clearance of 150 feet from street lines and 100 feet from adjacent property lines.
If the provisions of the foregoing sections are not complied with, the Clerk shall serve written notice by mail upon the owner of any such lot or land to comply with the provisions of this article. If the person upon whom the notice is served fails, neglects or refuses to cut and remove or cause to be cut and removed such weeds, grass or other vegetation within five days after service of such notice, or if no person can be found in the City who either is or claims to be the owner of such lot or land or who either represents or claims to represent such owner, the Engineer shall cause such weeds, grass and other vegetation on such lot or land to be cut and removed and keep a record of the cost thereof, and the actual cost of such cutting and removal, plus the reasonable cost for inspection and other additional costs in connection therewith, shall be certified by the Engineer to the Assessor of the City and shall thereupon become and be a lien upon the property on which such weeds, grass or other vegetation were located, and shall be added to and become and form part of the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon such lot or land and shall bear interest at the same rate as taxes and shall be collected and enforced in the same manner as taxes. The assessment of the cost for the work done by the City against the property involved shall be in addition to the penalties imposed herein for any violation of or noncompliance with any provision of this chapter or any rule, regulation, order or special direction duly made thereunder.