It shall be unlawful for any owner, agent, lessee, tenant or other person occupying or having charge or control of any premises to permit weeds to remain upon said premises or any area between the property lines of said premises and the centerline of any adjacent street or alley, including but not specifically limited to sidewalks, streets, alleys, easements, rights-of-way and all other areas, public or private. All weeds as hereinafter defined are hereby declared a nuisance and are subject to abatement as hereinafter provided.

(Ord. 1107; Ord. 1157; Ord. 1162; Ord. 1164; Ord.1169; Ord. 1294; Code 2015)

(a)   Calendar Year as used herein, means that period of time beginning January 1 and ending December 31 of the same year.

(b)   Weeds as used herein, means any of the following:

(1)   Brush and woody vines shall be classified as weeds;

(2)   Weeds and indigenous grasses which may attain such large growth as to become, when dry, a fire menace to adjacent property.

(3)   Weeds which bear or may bear seeds of a downy or wingy nature;

(4)   Weeds which are located in an area which harbors rats, insects, animals, reptiles, or any other creature which either mayor does constitute a menace to health, public safety or welfare;

(5)   Weeds and indigenous grasses on or about residential property which, because of its height, has a blighting influence on the neighborhood. Any such weeds and indigenous grasses shall be presumed to be blighting if they exceed 12 inches in height.

(Ord. 1157; Ord. 1162; Ord. 1164; Ord. 1169; Ord. 1294; Code 2015)

The Governing Body shall designate a public officer to be charged with the administration of and enforcement of this article. The public officer or an authorized assistant shall notify in writing the owner, occupant or agent in charge of any premises in the City upon which weeds exist in violation of this article, by mail or by personal service, once per calendar year. Such notice shall include the following:

(a)   That the owner, occupant or agent in charge of the property is in violation of the City weed control law.

(b)   That the owner, occupant or agent in charge of the property is ordered to cut the weeds within ten (10) days of the mailing of notice.

(c)   That the owner, occupant or agent in charge of the property may request a hearing before the governing body or its designated representative within five (5) days of the mailing of notice.

(d)   That if the owner, occupant or agent in charge of the property does not cut the weeds, the City or its authorized agent will cut the weeds and assess the cost of the cutting, including a reasonable administrative fee, against the owner, occupant or agent in charge of the property.

(e)   That the owner, occupant or agent in charge of the property will be given an opportunity to pay the assessment, and, if it is not paid, it will be added to the property tax as a special assessment.

(f)   That no further notice shall be given prior to removal of weeds during the current calendar year.

(g)   That the public officer should be contacted if there are any questions regarding the order. If there is a change in the recorded owner of title to property subsequent to the giving of notice pursuant to this subsection, the City may not recover any costs or levy an assessment for the costs incurred by the cutting or destruction of weeds on such property unless the new recorded owner of title to such property is provided notice as required by this section.

(Ord. 1157; Ord. 1162; Ord. 1164; Ord. 1169; Ord. 1294; Code 2015)

(a)   Upon the expiration of ten (10) days after mailing of the notice required by Section 7-103, and in the event that the owner, occupant or agent in charge of the premises shall neglect or fail to comply with the requirements of Section 7-101, the public officer or an authorized assistant shall cause to be cut, destroyed and/or removed all such weeds and abate the nuisance created thereby at any time during the current calendar year.

(b)   The public officer or an authorized assistant shall give notice to the owner, occupant or agent in charge of the premises by restricted mail of the costs of abatement of the nuisance. The notice shall state that payment of the cost is due and payable within thirty (30) days following mailing of the notice.

(c)   If the costs of removal or abatement remain unpaid after thirty (30) days following mailing of notice, a record of the costs of cutting and destruction and/or removal shall be certified to the City clerk who shall cause such costs to be assessed against the particular lot or piece of land on which such weeds were so removed, and against such lots or pieces of land in front of or abutting on such street or alley on which such weeds were so removed. The City Clerk shall certify the assessment to the County Clerk at the time other special assessments are certified for spreading on the tax rolls of the county.

(Ord. 1157; Ord. 1162; Ord. 1164; Ord. 1169; Ord. 1294; Code 2015)

The public officer, and the public officer’s authorized assistants, employees, contracting agents or other representatives are hereby expressly authorized to enter upon private property at all reasonable hours for the purpose of cutting, destroying and/or removing such weeds in a manner not inconsistent with this article.

(Ord. 1157; Ord. 1162; Ord. 1164; Ord. 1169; Ord. 1294; Code 2015)

It shall be unlawful for any person to interfere with or to attempt to prevent the public officer or the public officer’s authorized representative from entering upon any such lot or piece of ground or from proceeding with such cutting and destruction. Such interference shall constitute an ordinance violation.

(Ord. 1157; Ord. 1162; Ord. 1164; Ord. 1169; Ord. 1294; Code 2015)

(a)   Nothing in this article shall affect or impair the rights of the City under the provisions of Chapter 2, Article 13 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, relating to control and eradication of certain noxious weeds.

(b)   For the purpose of this section, the term noxious weeds shall mean kudzu (Pueraria lobata), field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), Russian knapweed (Centaurea picris), hoary cress (Lepidium draba), Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense), quackgrass (Agropyron repens), leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula), burragweed (Franseria tomentosa and discolor), pignut (Hoffrnannseggia densiflora), musk (nodding) thistle (Carduus nutans L.), and Johnson grass (Sorghum halepense).

(Ord. 1157; Ord. 1162; Ord. 1164; Ord. 1169; Ord. 1294; Code 2015)

After the enactment of K.S.A. 1997 Supp. 12-1617f, effective July 1, 1997, it is no longer required that an ordinance be adopted each year to establish the City’s weed removal policy and notification procedure. Therefore the provisions of this article shall constitute the permanent policy and procedure of the City.

(K.S.A. 12-1617f; Ord. 1169; Code 2015)