HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 03/26/2001 (20) 5
'.' CITY OF'PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA :
AGE NDA, BILL
Agenda title:, Meeting Date:
- Resolution.Ordering Abatement of Nuisance Consisting of Weeds;Growing April 2,2001
on Public/Private Property-' in the. City :of.,Petaluina,and Orderings the Fire
Chief to Remove said weeds by contractor'fiis own forces. • ,
Department: ' Director_ t Contact Person: Phone,Nuinber`
Fite - ' Terry K KrouCFire'Chief . Mich 1 f.�,Gi" �r Fire Marshal '778-4389 .
Fi. f p'
Cbst:of Proposal: ' . Amount Budgeted: $16,000.00
$'1.6,000:00 - Account Number..221 b-61,04
Attachntents'toAgenda Packet Itein
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1. Agenda Summary
2.• Resolution.Ordering Abatement
3.i Copy of letter sent to the property,.owners, including-list of contractors.
SuminaryStatement: •
On 2/20'/01 the Council approved &Resolution (2001-034 N.C'.S.)_declaring weeds,growing on public and private.
property a nuisance and requiring a Public Heat-1120'o be held on April 2, 2001, to hear objections to said
• Declaration.:.As in years past, it,is not anticipated that anyone will object•to'the weed declaration. - '
. • Council.Priority: THIS AGENDA ITEM IS}CONSIDERED TO BE-PART OF, OR NECESSARY TO, ONE OR MORE
OF THE 1999-2000.PRIORITIES ESTABCISHED;BY'THE'CIT,Y COUNCIL ON'JANUARY 3D, 1099.
Piiority(s): not applicable
Recommended:City CouncifAction: - .
Pass Resolution Declaring`weeds growing :on.public and private property a nuisance and authorize the ,Fire
Department to abate weedst,(that constitutea hazard)if the property owner°fails to do so.•Review'ed,by Finance Director: .Reviewei" '-r a • 1 Li e Approved bv•City Manager:
Date: P „W Date:,..#7
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Today's Date: 'Revision #Cand Date Revised: .. . File'Code:
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CITY.OF PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA •
APiiL 2,2001.
AGENDA.REPORT
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FOR
PROTEST_HEARINCFOR ABATEMENT OEWEEDS- •
AND-ADOPT RESOLUTION ORDERING ABATEMENTAVWEEDS, , •
GROWING ON'PUBLIC/PRIVATE PROPERTY
1, EXECUTIVE.SUMMARY
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On;f2/20/01, the Council adopted Resolution 00-31 "Declaring Weeds, Growing on
• Public/Private Property a Hazard One of the:conditions. of the resolution'was for• the
• Council.,to.hold a "Public Hearing" (4/2/01) to hear any objections to She declaration as
required by the Government Code. After:the "Public Hearing" `is hel'd.'on 412/01. the
Council will ado p t another resolution "Orderin g Abatement of Nuisances Consisting of
Weeds Growing Upon Public and Private Property`in the City of Petaluma and Ordering',
the Fire Chief to Remove Said;Weeds, by Contract or by his-Own Forces".
2 BACKGROUND . . .
For over 16' earn the 'Fire Department •(Fire Marshal's Office) has •developed an
aggressive.abat ment program. The clearing of property, depending.on weather..must be
. accomplished by June of a given•y_ear and,maintained through the first major,rains of fall.
In order for the Fire Marshal's Office.to 'conduct abatement;activities, the Government
Code requires.the City to adopt resolutions declaring weeds/brush a nuisance and.,toC hold
a public hearing for'dissension to this action. Very few, if any complaints or concerns are
raised by the public'regarding our program
In,summary the program follows the following timeline:.
• Councildeclares-weed/brush,a nuisance and orders public hearing-to,hear objections.
• 'Council holds,public hearingxand orders,abatement. _
• Parcels requiring abatement are identified by an inspector.
Property owners that qualify for grass/brush abatement•are sent notices to clear their'
properties by'June.
• a Property owners,are highly eneouiagedio doitheir own weed abatement.
•, Forced.abatement,takes place:onlyafter•none compliance with the,June,deadline:.
'• Forced abatement is done;by a contractor.hired'by the City and under the direction of
the abatement inspector: •
'Costs for the abatement plus an administrative fee (20%),are,invoiced•to the property
• owner. • '
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• Failure by the propeity ownerto pay the-abatement fees.by August 1 of each calendar
• year have•their property.taxes levied for recovery,:
• Council directs unpaid trivoiees.to be•levied•to piopeity taxes.
• ,Council releases 10% of fees held:byCityto abatement contractor upon completion of
• work,
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3. •ALTERNATIVES; •
Other than,taking no :action-on an•issue such,as,this-:there is no'other legally efficient
viable alternative.-
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4. FINANCIAL IMPACTS' • •
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Amount budgeted amountforcontractor to perform. annual abatement duties $16,000: All
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funds-expended are recovered via paidinvoiceswr property tax levy.
5. RECOMMENDATION
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The Council adopt the,resolution ordering the FireDDepartment to clear all weeds/brush .
that constitute a nuisance/firethazard: •
•• 6. ACTION TAKEN.AFTER COUNCIL 'APPROVAL •
The Fire Marshal's Office will begin to check parcels in.the City that are potential
hazards. Forced abatement will'begin on or:after May 15'to June 1, 2001, depending: on
weather conditions.
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1 RESOLUTION ORDERING ABATEMENT OF.NUISANCES
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2 CONSISTING OF WEEDS GROWING,UPON PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROPERTY
3 IN THE CITY OF PETALUMA AND ORDERING'THE.FIRE CHIEF TOIREMOVE
4 • SAID WEEDS,BY CONTRACT OR BY HIS OWN FORCES
5 -
6 WHEREAS, on-the 20th day. of February 2001, the Council of the City of Petaluma
7 adopted Resolution No 2001-034 N:C.S., declaring weeds growing upon public and private
8 . property referred to and described in said Resolution,constituted and were a public nuisance and
9 fixed the 2"d day ofApri1•2001, at the:hour.of 7:00 p.m., or as soon thereafferas can be heard, in
10 the .Council Chambers of the City Hall, 11 English Street, Petaluma, California,;as the time.and
11 place-of hearing protests and objections to said,abatement proceedings; and,"
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13 •WHEREAS, the City Council has held.its hearing and considered all .objections or
14 protests to the;proposed removal of weeds..and has followed or overruled any or all objections as .
15 hereinafter set forth, and the City Council has now acquired jurisdiction to proceed and perform
16 the work of removal of said weeds;
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18 NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council does hereby order the
19. Fire Department?of the City, through a contractor employed by this Council or its own forces, to
20 abate said nuisances by removing said weeds by means of mowing, disking':or blading using
21 whichever means it deems to be the most appropriate after considering the location and the
22 terrain of,said parcels of public and'private property referred to and described in:said Resolution
23 No. 200.1-034 N.C.S. Said mowing, disking,and'blading shall be accomplished as many times as
24 the Fire Department may deem necessary_to:provide the best possible control of":weeds.
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1 , BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED thatsaid Fire Department shall that1said.Fire Department shalt keep an account of the .
• 2 cost of this abatement.oLsald.nutsances on•public'and,private,property where the work is done; •
. 3, and-.thereafter-submit;,to this-Council •for confutnation, an itemized written report showing such .•
4 cost,as-required by'Section 39547 of the Government-Code, and thereafter such proceedings shall
5 be had°for special assessments,against'the respective parcels.of land to pay for the cost of said
• 6 work, in the manner provided:by Chapter 13, Part'2, Division 3, of Title 4 of the Government
7- Code.
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WeALU .
A t 1 CITY OF PETALUMA
e\ e - POST OFFICE BOX 61
i 8 5$- - PETALUMA, CA,94953-0061•
• E.dark Thompson .March 5, 2001 ,
Y ,
Janice Eader-Thompson.
Jane Hamilton . -
MichaelHealy'. • REMINDER REMINDER REMINDER REMINDER= REMINDER .
David Keller - -Matt Maguire ANNUAL WEED ABATEMENTPROGR'AM, - ••
Pamela Torliatt. • -
Councilmembers -
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DearProperty Owner; •
It is•agam time/for the City"of'Petalumaa'o•embark upon its-annual program"to;eliminate
grass and weeds that may become a fireihazard•or,.an unsightly public nuisance during '
summer-months:
Ifyourpropertyfalls ivrthzn one of the categories below -
. 1. Grass and/or weed growth does;now exist,, •
- - ' 2.."Grass and/or weeds''are presently under control;;but-may
A'become a nuisance or fire hazard if weeds and grasses•are
- _ not controlled-
3. Weeds and/or grasses have been abated by the City:on
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your property in the'last24months. •!
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You are required to have•the;above:noted:conditions abated no later than May`15, 2001,
• and maintain:'controLuntil the first substantial:tain i •the fall. ' -
Properties'that have a=grass and/or weed,:growth after-May 15;-2001,-will be.disked or- . - - --
mowed by a private;contractor;hired by the City. Charges billed to the property owner for
work done bythe.private contractor, will be;the actual cost:to the City;plus an,
administration charge per billing. These charges may be paid by the proPertyowner when
'billed or may be'placedon the Property tax bill.
• 4 THE CITY DOES NOT WANT TO ABATE WEEDS ON YOUR PROPERTY.
Please do not call the Cityto;do the work. Call the contractor,of your choice on the
enclosed list.
• If.the property has been'developed, or•you no.longer own this-property, or if the growth on
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this propertythat isgoing to be CUT FOR.HAY,;please contaet`the Fire Marshal's office
Fire Marshal's Office b 'no:later than Ma
u Engiislrsrreet Y May 1, 2001, at (707)•77-8-21:574.
- Betalwna, CA'94952.
Phone(707) 778-4389' Noticeto,Destroy Weeds •
Fay(707) 778-4498 List of Weed Abatement Contractors ,
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E.-Mai/nci.pelaluma.ca.us
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WEED ABATEMENT CONTRACTORS
• ' (Public;Use- Updated'3/00)
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, • Giusti-Ranch (707) 887-2428
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Foestville
(disking, mowing weed-eating) - .
Benjamin Wilder '(707) 664-0892 (Business).
• Rohnert Park (707)973-0090 (Pager)
- (high weed abatement and hauling) •
Custom Tractor Service (707) 778-8934
' Neal Carstensen .
Petaluma
• (Custom farming, disking;mowing, bl'ading; hay cutting) .••
. Forester& Kroeger Landscape Maintenance (415) 456-6684
Sin Anselmo
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Gary Petersen (707)795-6585
• Sebastopol
- , ' {Custom farming, disking mowing;-blading hay;cutttng'j ` • I
S{ Isetta Landscape • . (707) 769-1753 '
Petaluma
(Comtnercial property; landscape, maintenanc •&construction:) -
. • John &:Francis Azevedo • - `--' • - - . . -(707) 763-7670 •
Petaluma •
(Hay cutting.) •
Keystone Tractor Service; Wayne•Jarnison (530) 742-2175
Marysville '
Ronald.D. Roy '(760) 724-6.511 (Business).
Escondido (
p g (760) 724-6911'(Fax)
(abatement, demolition:and•debris removal',scrap in :erosionmcontrol)
Sandra-Lee Chisham (707) 577-9061 (Pager)
Petaluma (707) 778-1020 (Business)
• (707) 778-7717 (Home)
Tri=County Tractors (707) 257-7. 565 •
Napa
•s You�aresuniler,no`obligationao use'aconti•actorfrom•this list;.•
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