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.
[Adopted 5-24-1979 by Ord. No. 8-1979]
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; 8-24-2023 by Ord. No. 14-2023]
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 $250 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; 4-11-2024 by Ord. No. 4-2024]
Each and every person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be subject, upon conviction thereof, to the following fines: first offense - fine of $250; second offense - fine of $500; third and subsequent offenses - fine of $1,000 and a term of imprisonment not to exceed 90 days.