Whenever the Common Council shall deem it necessary
and expedient for the preservation of the public health, safety and
general welfare or, to eliminate a fire hazard from lands lying within
the limits of the City of Egg Harbor City, to remove brush, weeds,
dead and dying trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious growths, filth, garbage,
trash or debris or to keep all brush, hedges and other plant life
growing within the distance between the sidewalk and the curb or within
a distance of 10 feet, whichever is less, of any roadway or within
25 feet of the intersection of two roadways cut to a height of not
more than 2 1/2 feet, the Common Council shall cause written notice
thereof to be given to the owner or occupant of such lands at his
or her last known address, and such owner or occupant shall, within
10 days notice thereof, remove or cut the same.
In case the owner or tenant of any such land
shall refuse or neglect to remove said brush, weeds, dead and dying
trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious growths, filth, garbage, trash or
debris or to cut brush, hedges and other plant life within 10 days
after notice thereof, the Highway Department may remove the same or
cause the same to be removed.
[Amended 5-10-2012 by Ord. No. 8-2012]
The cost of such removal or cutting shall be
certified by said Highway Department to the Common Council, which
shall examine the certificate and, if found correct, shall cause the
cost as shown thereon to be charged against said lands. An additional
fifty-dollar administrative fee will be charged in addition to the
amount certified. The amount so charged shall become a lien upon such
lands and shall be added to and become and form part of the taxes
next to be assessed and levied upon such lands; the same shall 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.
[Amended 8-26-1999 by Ord. No. 16-1999]
Said owner or tenant shall also, for every refusal
or neglect to comply with the provisions of this article, upon conviction
thereof, be liable to a fine not exceeding $1,000, a term of imprisonment
not exceeding 90 days or a period of community service not exceeding
90 days, or any combination thereof.