Source: https://www.ecode360.com/32574576
Timestamp: 2019-11-18 02:04:41
Document Index: 226275444

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 322', '§ 322', '§ 322', '§ 322', '§ 322', '§ 322', '§ 322', '§ 66', '§ 66', '§ 322', '§ 322', '§ 1', '§ 322', '§ 322', '§ 66']

Village of Fredonia, WI Health and Sanitation
§ 322-1 Rules and regulations.
§ 322-2 Keeping of livestock.
§ 322-3 Deposit of deleterious substances prohibited.
§ 322-4 Destruction of noxious weeds.
§ 322-5 Regulation of natural lawns.
§ 322-6 Regulation of length of lawn and grasses.
§ 322-7 Sump pump discharge regulated.
Chapter 322 Health and Sanitation
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Village Board of the Village of Fredonia as Title 8, Ch. 1, of the 1995 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
Fires and fire prevention — See Ch. 289.
The Village Board may make reasonable and general rules for the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter and for the prevention of the creation of health nuisances and the protection of the public health and welfare and may, where appropriate, require the issuance of licenses and permits. All such regulations shall have the same effect as ordinances, and any person violating any of such regulations and any lawful order of the Board shall be subject to the general penalty provided for in this Code.[1]
Editor's Note: Original Sec. 8-1-2, Health nuisances, abatement of, which immediately followed this section, was repealed at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
Animals excluded from food handling establishments. No person shall take or permit to remain any dog, cat or other live animal on or upon any premises where food is sold, offered for sale or processed for consumption by the general public.
The Village Clerk-Treasurer shall annually on or before May 15th publish as required by state law a notice that every person is required by law to destroy all noxious weeks 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 by mail to the owner or occupant of any lands upon which the weeds shall be growing to the effect that the said Weed Commission 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 of the Wisconsin Statutes. In case the owner or occupant shall further neglect to comply within 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(2), 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 weed, grass or similar plant growth which, if allowed to pollinate, would cause or produce hay fever in human beings or would cause a skin rash through contact with the skin. Noxious weeds, as described in this section and in § 322-5, shall include but not be limited to the following:
Natural lawns defined. Natural lawn as used in this section shall include common species of grass and wild flowers 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 § 322-4 of this chapter. 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.
"Natural lawn management plan," as used in this section, shall mean a written plan relating to the management and maintenance of a lawn which contains a legal description of 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 type, 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. "Property owner" shall be defined to include the legal title holder and/or the beneficial owner of any such lot according to most current Village records. 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 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. The Village Board shall revise the approved natural lawn permit accordingly. The owner of the approved natural lawn shall be required to remove the ten-foot section abutting the neighboring property within 20 days of receipt of the written notification from the Village, provided the notification is received some time 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 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 forth on the Village Fee Schedule 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 properties 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. Neighboring property owners shall be defined as all those property owners who are located within 300 feet of the proposed natural lawn site.
If the property owner's application is in full compliance with the natural lawn management plan requirements and less than 51% of the neighboring property owners provide written objections, the Village Board may issue a two-year permit to install a natural lawn.
When, in the opinion of the Fire Chief, the presence of a natural lawn may constitute a fire or safety hazard due to weather and/or other conditions, the Fire Chief 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 Fire Chief.
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 lawn management plan. The Fire Chief 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 list of requirements for considering each request to burn natural lawns is fulfilled, thereby ensuring the public safety. In addition, the property owner requesting permission to burn the natural lawn shall produce evidence or property damage and liability insurance identifying the Village as a party insured. A minimum amount of acceptable insurance shall be $300,000.
Revocation of an approved natural lawn permit. The Village President, upon the recommendation of the Weed Commissioner, shall have the authority to revoke an approved natural lawn 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 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 permit. Failure to file an application for appeal within the 15 calendar days shall result in the revoking of the natural lawn 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.
The growth of a natural lawn as defined in this section shall be considered a public nuisance unless a natural lawn management plan has been filed and approved and a permit is issued by the Village as set forth in this section. Violators shall be served with a notice of public nuisance by certified mail to the last-known mailing address of the property owner.
Any person, firm or corporation which does not abate the nuisance within the required time period or who otherwise violates the provisions of this section shall be subject to the general penalty of the Code 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 Fredonia.
Public nuisance declared. The Village Board finds that lawns, grasses and noxious weeds on lots or parcels of land 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, interferes with the public convenience and adversely affects property values of other land within the Village. For that reason, any 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 § 322-5 above.
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 with this section and § 322-4.
The notice shall be served at least five days prior to the date of the hearing and shall be mailed or served on the owner of the lot or parcel or land or, if he is not known and there is a tenant occupying the property, then to the tenant, of the time and place at which the hearing will be held.
Due process hearing. If the owner believes that his grasses or weeds are not a nuisance, he may request a hearing before the Village Board. 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 an amount set forth in the Village's Fee Schedule. If a decision is rendered in the property owner's favor, the bond amount 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 Village Board shall be held within seven 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 Board. 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 Village Board shall make its determination, in writing, specifying its findings, facts, and conclusions. If the Village Board determines that a public nuisance did exist, the Board 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 Village Board's decision. 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 cost in excess of the forfeited fee assessed accordingly.
The written notice required in Subsection F shall inform said person that in the event of his failure to abate the nuisance within the prescribed time, the Village shall abate the same and the cost thereof shall be assessed to the property owner as a special charge.
The Village shall cut or cause to be cut all grass and weeds from the subject's property and shall charge the expenses to the property owner. Such fee shall be as set forth in the Village Fee Schedule per hour, with a minimum rate of one hour charged for each project. 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), Wisconsin Statutes.
Findings. The Village Board finds that uncontrolled discharge from sump pumps, including frozen runoff onto public sidewalks and streets and excess runoff from one lot onto another poses a threat to the public health and safety. The problem is not uniform throughout the Village, as it varies with the topography of the area and on the soil contents.
Discharge into storm sewer required. Where a connection order is used in accordance with this section, a sump pump shall be connected so as to discharge into a storm sewer. The expense incurred to connect to the storm sewer is the responsibility of the property owner.
Where system not available. Where no storm sewer system is available or is not adequate to receive the anticipated flow, between the dates of November 1 and April 1 of the following year, the sump pump discharge shall drain on the premises, not onto the roadway or curbing.
Issuance of connection order. The Director of Public Works shall issue a written order that a property drain its sump pump discharge into a storm sewer if a storm sewer is adjacent to the lot and if, after investigation, he finds that:
Discharge from the property's sump pump drains onto the sidewalk or into the street area adjoining the residence; or
Discharge from the property's sump pump drains onto a neighboring property so as to create pooling of water or ice.
Inspection. All connections to the storm sewer must be inspected by the Director of Public Works.
Service; effective date. A connection order may be served, in the manner provided by statute for service of a summons, upon either the owner of the property or its occupant. The order shall provide that, unless an appeal from the order is timely filed, connection to the storm sewer shall be made within 45 days after its issuance. Upon issuing such an order, the Director shall promptly file a copy thereof with the Village Clerk-Treasurer.
Appeal of order. Within 30 days after issuance and filing of a determination of public necessity, the owner or occupant may file with the Village Clerk-Treasurer a petition to the Village Board for de novo review of the order. The matter shall be set for a public hearing before the Village Board, and the Clerk-Treasurer shall give notice of the time and place thereof to the petitioner. No person shall be in violation of this section for failure to comply with a connection order so long as an appeal to the Village Board is pending. The petitioner and the Director of the Department of Public Works may appear and be heard at the review hearing. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Board shall:
Ratify the order;
Revoke the order; or
Modify the order in a manner consistent with the circumstances of the case and the public health and safety.[1]
Editor's Note: Original Sec. 8-1-9, Regulation of smoking, which immediately followed this section, was repealed at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).