Source: https://www.ecode360.com/13916861
Timestamp: 2019-09-20 22:20:43
Document Index: 535434010

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 410', '§ 410', '§ 410', '§ 410', '§ 410', '§ 410', '§ 410', '§ 410', '§ 410', '§ 410', '§ 410', '§ 410', '§ 66', '§ 66', '§ 410', '§ 410', '§ 410', '§ 1', '§ 410', '§ 410', '§ 66', '§ 341', '§ 491']

Village of Woodville, WI PROPERTY MAINTENANCE
Ch 410 Art I Brush, Grass and Weeds
§ 410-1 Destruction of noxious weeds.
§ 410-2 Natural lawns.
§ 410-3 Length of lawns, grasses and noxious weeds.
Ch 410 Art II Junked Vehicles and Appliances
§ 410-4 Storage restricted.
§ 410-5 Definitions.
§ 410-6 Exceptions.
§ 410-7 Enforcement.
§ 410-8 Violations and penalties.
Chapter 410 PROPERTY MAINTENANCE
Property Maintenance Amendment - 2015-09-08
Building construction — See Ch. 231.
Trees and shrubs — See Ch. 476.
Brush, Grass and Weeds (§ 410-1 — § 410-3)
Junked Vehicles and Appliances (§ 410-4 — § 410-8)
[Adopted 8-13-1996 (Secs. 8-1-4, 8-1-5 and 8-1-6 of the 1996 Code)]
Destruction of noxious weeds.
Length of lawns, grasses and noxious weeds.
The Village Clerk-Treasurer shall annually on or before May 15 publish as required by state law a notice that every person is required by law to destroy all noxious weeds on lands in the Village which he owns, occupies or controls. A joint notice with other towns or municipalities may be utilized.
If the owner or occupant shall neglect to destroy any weeds as required by such notice, then the Weed Commissioner of the Village shall give five days' written notice to the owner or occupant of any lands upon which the weeds shall be growing to the effect that said Weed Commissioner, after the expiration of the five-day period, will proceed to destroy or cause to be destroyed all such weeds growing upon said lands and that the cost thereof will be assessed as a tax upon the lands upon which such weeds are located under the provisions of § 66.0407, Wis. Stats. In case the owner or occupant shall further neglect to comply with such five-day notice, then the Weed Commissioner shall destroy such weeds or cause them to be destroyed in the manner deemed to be the most economical method, and the expense thereof, including the cost of billing and other necessary administrative expenses, shall be charged against such lots and be collected as a special tax thereon.
As provided for in § 66.0407, Wis. Stats., the Village shall require that all noxious weeds shall be destroyed prior to the time in which such plants would mature to the bloom or flower state. The growth of noxious weeds in excess of eight inches in height from the ground surface shall be prohibited within the Village corporate limits. Noxious weeds shall include any weeds, grass or similar plant growth which, if allowed to pollinate, would cause or produce hayfever in human beings or would cause a skin rash through contact with the skin.
Noxious weeds, as defined in this section and in § 410-3, shall include but not be limited to the following:
Noxious grasses, as defined in this section and in § 410-3, shall include but not be limited to the following:
Milkweed (over eight inches in height)
Includes common species of grass and wildflowers native to North America which are designed and purposely cultivated to exceed eight inches in height from the ground. Specifically excluded in natural lawns are the noxious grasses and weeds identified in § 410-1 of this article. The growth of a natural lawn in excess of eight inches in height from the ground surface shall be prohibited within the Village corporate limits unless a natural lawn management plan is approved and a permit is issued by the Village as set forth in this section. Natural lawns shall not contain litter or debris and shall not harbor undesirable wildlife.
A written plan relating to the management and maintenance of a lawn which contains a legal description of the lawn upon which the planted grass will exceed eight inches in length, a statement of intent and purpose for the lawn, a detailed description of the vegetational types, plants and plant succession involved, and the specific management and maintenance techniques to be employed.
Property owners who wish to plant and cultivate a natural lawn must submit their written plan and related information on the form provided by the Village. Natural lawn management plans shall only indicate the planting and cultivating of natural lawns on property legally owned by the property owner. Applicants are strictly prohibited from developing a natural lawn on any Village-owned property, including street rights-of-way. This shall include at a minimum property located between the sidewalk and the street or a strip not less than 10 feet adjacent to the street where there is no sidewalk, whether the area is under public or private ownership. In addition, natural lawns shall not be permitted within 10 feet of the abutting property owner's property unless waived in writing by the abutting property owner on the side so affected. Such waiver is to be affixed to the natural lawn management plan.
Any subsequent property owner who abuts an approved natural lawn may revoke the waiver, thereby requiring the owner of the natural lawn to remove the natural lawn that is located in the ten-foot section abutting the neighboring property owner. Such revocation shall be put in writing and presented to the Village Clerk-Treasurer by the subsequent abutting property owner. Upon receiving the written request to revoke the original waiver, the Village Board shall contact the owner of the approved natural lawn and direct the owner to remove the natural lawn located in the ten-foot section abutting the neighboring property owner. The Village Board shall revise the approved natural lawn management plan permit accordingly. The owner of the approved natural lawn shall be required to remove the ten-foot section abutting the neighboring property owner within 20 days of receipt of the written notification from the Village, provided that the notification is received sometime between May 1 and November 1. Property owners who receive notification from the Village between November 1 and April 30 shall be required to remove the ten-foot section abutting the neighboring property owner no later than May 20 following receipt of the notification.
Property owners interested in applying for permission to establish a natural lawn shall obtain and complete an application form available from the Village Clerk-Treasurer. The completed application shall include a natural lawn management plan. Upon submitting a completed application, a nonrefundable filing fee as set by the Village Board will be assessed by the Village. Upon receiving payment, copies of the completed application shall be mailed by the Village to each of the owners of record, as listed in the office of the Village Assessor, who are owners of the property situated wholly or in part within 300 feet of the boundaries of the property for which the application is made. If within 15 calendar days of mailing the copies of the complete application to the neighboring property owners the Village receives written objections from 51% or more of the neighboring property owners, the Village Clerk-Treasurer shall immediately deny the application
Application for appeal. The property owner may appeal the Clerk-Treasurer's decision to deny the natural lawn permit request to the Village Board at an open meeting. All applications for appeal shall be submitted within 15 calendar days of the notice of denial of the natural lawn management plan. The decision rendered by the Village Board shall be final and binding.
When, in the opinion of the Public Protection Committee, the presence of a natural lawn may constitute a fire or safety hazard due to weather and/or other conditions, the Public Protection Committee may order the cutting of natural lawns to a safe condition. As a condition of receiving approval of the natural lawn permit, the property owner shall be required to cut the natural lawn within three days upon receiving written direction from the Public Protection Committee.
Natural lawns shall not be removed through the process of burning unless stated and approved as one of the management and maintenance techniques in the natural lawn management plan. The Public Protection Committee shall review all requests to burn natural lawns and shall determine if circumstances are correct and all applicable requirements have been fulfilled to ensure public safety. Burning of natural lawns shall be strictly prohibited unless a written permit to burn is issued by the Public Protection Committee. The Public Protection Committee shall establish a written list of requirements for considering each request to burn natural lawns, thereby ensuring the public safety. In addition, the property owner requesting permission to burn the natural lawn shall produce evidence of property damage and liability insurance identifying the Village as a party insured. A minimum amount of acceptable insurance shall be $500,000.
Revocation of an approved natural lawn management plan permit. The Public Protection Committee shall have the authority to revoke an approved natural lawn management plan permit if the owner fails to maintain the natural lawn or comply with the provisions set forth in this section. Notice of intent to revoke an approved natural lawn management plan permit shall be appealable to the Village Board. All applications for appeal shall be submitted within 15 calendar days of receipt of the written notice of intent to revoke the approved natural lawn management plan permit. Failure to file an application for appeal within 15 calendar days shall result in the revoking of the natural lawn management plan permit. All written applications for appeal filed within the fifteen-calendar-day requirement shall be reviewed by the Village Board in an open meeting. The decision rendered by the Village Board shall be final and binding.
Any person, firm or corporation who or which does not abate the nuisance within the required time period or who or which otherwise violates the provisions of this section shall be subject to the general penalty found in § 1-4.
Purpose. This section is adopted due to the unique nature of the problems associated with lawns, grasses and noxious weeds being allowed to grow to excessive length in the Village of Woodville.
Public nuisance declared. The Village Board finds that lawns, grasses and noxious weeds on nonagricultural lots or parcels of land, as classified under Chapter 525, Zoning, of this Code, within the Village of Woodville which exceed eight inches in length adversely affect the public health and safety of the public in that they tend to emit pollen and other discomforting bits of plants, constitute a fire hazard and a safety hazard in that debris can be hidden in the grass, interfere with the public convenience and adversely affect property values of other land within the Village. For that reason, any nonagricultural lawn, grass or weed on a lot or other parcel of land which exceeds eight inches in length is hereby declared to be a public nuisance, except for property located in a designated floodplain area and/or wetland area or where the lawn, grass or weed is part of a natural lawn approved pursuant to § 410-2 above.
Nuisance prohibited. No person, firm or corporation shall permit any public nuisance as defined in Subsection B above to remain on any premises owned or controlled by him within the Village.
Abatement of nuisance. If the Weed Commissioner shall determine with reasonable certainty that any public nuisance as defined in Subsection B above exists, he shall immediately cause written notice to be served that the Village proposes to have the lot grass or lawn cut so as to conform to this section and § 410-2.
Due process hearing. If the owner believes that his grasses or weeds are not a nuisance, he may request a hearing before the Zoning Board of Appeals. The request for said hearing must be made in writing to the Village Clerk-Treasurer's office within the five days set forth in the Weed Commissioner's notice. Upon application for the hearing, the property owner must deposit a bond in the amount established by the Village Board. If a decision is rendered in the property owner's favor, the bond will be returned to the property owner. If the property owner fails to appear for the hearing or if the decision is rendered against the property owner, the deposit shall be forfeited and applied to the cost of Village personnel abating the nuisance, if necessary. When a hearing is requested by the owner of the property, a hearing by the Zoning Board of Appeals shall be held within 10 days from the date of the owner's request. The property in question will not be mowed by the Village until such time as the hearing is held by the Zoning Board of Appeals. At the hearing, the owner may appear in person or by his attorney, may present witnesses in his own behalf and may cross-examine witnesses presented by the Village as well as subpoena witnesses for his own case. At the close of the hearing, the Zoning Board of Appeals shall make its determination in writing specifying its findings, facts, and conclusions. If the Zoning Board of Appeals determines that a public nuisance does exist, the Zoning Board of Appeals shall order the Weed Commissioner to mow the property in question unless the property has been mowed by the owner within 48 hours of the decision of the Zoning Board of Appeals. If the owner does not abate the nuisance within the described 48 hours, the Weed Commissioner shall cause the same nuisance to be abated and costs in excess of the forfeited fee assessed accordingly.
The Village shall cut or cause to be cut all grass and weeds from the subject's property and shall charge the expenses of so doing at a rate as established by resolution by the Village Board. At minimum, the property owner shall be charged for one hour of Village labor. The charges shall be set forth in a statement to the Village Clerk-Treasurer, who, in turn, shall mail the same to the owner, occupant or person in charge of the subject premises. If said statement is not paid in full within 30 days thereafter, the Village Clerk-Treasurer shall enter the charges in the tax roll as a special tax against said lot or parcel of land, and the same shall be collected in all respects like other taxes upon real estate or as provided under § 66.0907(3)(f), Wis. Stats.
[Adopted 8-13-1996 (Sec. 10-5-8 of the 1996 Code)]
No disassembled, inoperable, unlicensed, junked or wrecked motor vehicles, truck bodies, tractors, recreational vehicles/boats, trailers, farm machinery, vehicle parts or tires, or appliances shall be stored upon private residential property or unenclosed within a building upon nonresidential property within the Village of Woodville for a period exceeding 10 days unless it is in connection with an authorized business enterprise located in a properly zoned area maintained in such a manner as not to constitute a public nuisance. Included within the jurisdiction of this article are manufactured home communities within the Village, whether in public ownership or in private ownership held open to the public.
This article shall not apply to any motor vehicle or motor vehicle accessories stored within an enclosed building or on the premises of a business enterprise operated in a lawful place and in a non-nuisance manner in a properly zoned area when necessary to the operation of such business enterprise, in a storage place or depository maintained in a lawful place and manner, or seasonal use vehicles such as snowmobiles, motorcycles, motor scooters and nonmotorized campers, provided that such vehicles are stored in compliance with the ordinances of the Village. Also excepted are motor vehicles registered pursuant to §§ 341.265 and 341.266, Wis. Stats. In other situations the Village Board may issue temporary permits permitting an extension not to exceed an additional 30 days' time to comply with this article where exceptional facts and circumstances warrant such extension.
Whenever the Police Department shall find any vehicles, vehicle parts or tires, or appliances, as described herein, placed or stored in the open upon private property within the Village, it shall notify the owner of said property on which said vehicle or appliance is stored of the violation of this article. If said vehicle, part thereof or appliance is not removed within five days, the Police Department shall cause to be issued a citation to the property owner or tenant of the property upon which said vehicle or appliance is stored.
If such vehicle or appliance is not removed within 20 days after issuance of a citation, the Chief of Police shall cause the vehicle or appliance to be removed and impounded, and it shall thereafter be disposed of as prescribed in §§ 491-3 through 491-6 of this Code by the Chief of Police or his duly authorized representative. Any cost incurred in the removal and sale of said vehicle or appliance shall be recovered from the owner. However, if the owner of the vehicle or appliance cannot readily be found, the cost of such removal shall be charged to the property from which it is removed, which charge shall be entered as a special charge on the tax roll.