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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance - 8989-1986 - Ordinance 8989 Amending Chpts. 2 & 19 Adding Article III Titled "Diseased Trees" - 11/20/1986II r .! 'I II ' MH:da First Reading November 20, 1986 Agenda Item #5 Second Reading December 11, 1986 Agenda Item #7 ORDINANCE NO. 8989 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTERS 2 & 19 OF THE LUBBOCK CITY CODE BY ADDING AN ARTICLE III ENTITLED 11DISEASED TREES11 , WHICH DEFINES CERTAIN NUISANCES; PROVIDES NOTICE OF ABATEMENT AND APPEAL FROM SUCH NOTICE AND GIVES THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD POWER TO HEAR SUCH APPEALS; PROVIDES FOR THE CITY TO ABATE SUCH NUISANCE AND ASSESS THE COSTS TO THE PROPERTY OWNER; PROVIDING A PENALTY; PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE AND PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION. WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Lubbock has determined that diseased trees and plants can be dangerous to persons and property, and constitutes a public nuisance; and WHEREAS, the City Council has determined the following amendment providing for abatement of such nuisance is to the benefit of the public health, safety and general welfare and is in the best interest of the citizens of Lubbock; NOW THEREFORE: BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LUBBOCK: SECTION 1. THAT the Code of Ordinances, City of Lubbock, Texas, is hereby amended by adding an article to Chapter 19, to be numbered Ch. 19, Article III, which said Article reads as follows:. "Article III. Diseased Trees Section 19-3e. Nuisance Defined. Any tree or plant which is capable of causing an epidemic spread of communicable disease is hereby declared to be a public nuisance. Section 19-39. Abatement of nuisance by owner of property. It shall be unlawful for any person, owner, or occupant having supervision or control of any lot, tract, parcel of land or portion thereof, occupied or unoccupied, improved or unimproved, within the corporate limits of the City to permit ~r maintain on any such lot, tract, or parcel, any tree or plant which is a public nuisance as defined herein, and it shall be the duty of such person, owner, or occupant to promptly remove, eradicate, or otherwise control such condition. Section 19-40. Inspections. The Director of Parks and Recreation or his representative is hereby authorized to enter upon any lot or parcel of land in the City at any reasonable hour for the purpose of inspecting trees or plants in order to accomplish the purpose of this Ordinance. Section 19-41. Notice. The Director of Parks and Recreation of the City of Lubbock or his representative shall give to the owner or occupant having supervision or control of the premises where a public nuisance, as herein defined is found, written notice of the existence of such nuisance and an order detailing the requirements of abatement to be completed within a reasonable time to be specified in such notice. If personal service may not be had, service may be made by publication. Failure of the owner or occupant to correct the violation within the specified time shall constitute a misdemeanor. Section 19-42. Appeal from notices; hearing. The owner or occupant served with notice as described in Section 19-41 above, shall have the right to appeal the order of the Director of Parks and Recreation to the Parks and Recreation Board. Notice that such owner or occupant desires to appeal shall be submitted in writing to the Director of Parks and Recreation or his representative within the time specified for abatement in the notice. Upon receipt of a notice of appeal, the Director of Parks and Recreation shall schedule a meeting with the Parks and Recreation Board as soon as practicable to consider such appeal. Until a final determination by the Parks and Recreation Board, work required to be done by the Director of Parks and Recreation shall not be required, and if the Parks and Recreation Board sustains all or any part of the order, it shall set the time within which the work required to be done shall be done. Section 19-43. Work done by City; assessment of costs. If any work required to be done by the Director of Parks and Recreation or the Parks and Recreation Board is not accomplished within the time specified, the Director of Parks and Recreation shall cause the work to be done and the cost of the same shall be assessed against the property owner. Any notice given pursuant to this ordinance shall state that if the work required is not done within the time specified, the City will cause the same to be done at the expense of the property owner. A statement of the costs incurred by the City shall be mailed to the property owner and such statement shall be paid within thirty (30) days of the date of mailing thereof. If any property owner is unable to pay the cost of such work within thirty (30) days, he may enter into an agreement for the payment of the same in monthly installments.11 SECTION 2. That the Code of Ordinances, City of Lubbock, Texas, is hereby amended by adding a subsection to be numbered 2-259(c) which said section reads as follows: 11 (c). The park and recreation board shall have, in addition to the above responsibilities, the power and duty to hear appeals from orders of the Director of Parks and Recreation concerning diseased trees under Article III, Chapter 19 of this Code." - 2 - . . ' I I I SECTION 3. That violation of any provisions of this Ordinance shall be deemed a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed two hundred dollars as provided in Section 1-4 of the City Code. SECTION 4. That should any paragraph, sentence, clause, phrase or word of this Ordinance be declared unconstitutional or invalid for any reason the remainder of this Ordinance shall not be affected thereby. 1 SECTION 5. That the City Secretary is hereby authorized and directed ,to cause publication of the descriptive caption of this Ordinance as an 'alternative method provided by law. AND IT IS SO ORDERED. Passed by the City Council on first reading this 20th Novemoer , 1986. Passed by the City Council on second reading this 11th December , 1986. ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO CONTENT: Rita Harmon, Assistant City Manager for Public Safety and Services - 3 - day of day of