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1988 YEAR END REPORT <br /> VEGETATION MANAGEMENT STATISTICS <br /> MAINTENANCE PLANNING SECTION <br /> Johnny R. Medlin <br /> Upon December 31, 1988, the City's Obnoxious and Nuisance Vegetation Manage- <br /> ment program finished its first year under the administration of the Public <br /> Works Maintenance Division. This first year, since the programs transfer from <br /> the Engineering Division into the Maintenance Planning Section, has seen <br /> several basic changes in the program. Examples of this include: <br /> 1. The program has been assigned a higher department priority <br /> 2. The records and notification process has been automated on a P.C. <br /> 3. The program has been assigned an increase in manpower during the <br /> heaviest vegetation complaints season. <br /> 4. An increase in the enforcement of developed properties abatement <br /> Vegetation complaints are received by the Maintenance Planning Section mostly <br /> from concerned property owners and various city agencies. These complaints <br /> are each inspected in the field to determine if the situation is in compliance <br /> with the vegetation ordinances as specified in Municipal Code Sections 6.010 <br /> and 6.515. <br /> When a complaint reveals a developed property not in compliance with the code, <br /> a courtesy letter is sent to the owner of the property asking them to correct <br /> the problem within 10 days. If this fails to gain compliance from the <br /> property owner, the City then posts the property with an abatement notice <br /> instructing the property owner to correct the problem within an additional 10 <br /> days. If this stronger notice fails, the City would then have a contractor <br /> correct the problem with all associated costs billed to the property owner. <br /> For vacant lots, the City does not send individual courtesy letters during the <br /> summer months. Instead, a mass mailing to all owners of vacant lots is made <br /> in late May reminding the property owner of their vegetation maintenance <br /> responsibilities and warning them, if they fail to do so, the City may mow the <br /> lots without further notice. Therefore, when the complaint is on an vacant <br /> lot, and is between the dates of June 15th and September 30th, the City's <br /> initial action is to send a work order to a contractor to have the lot mowed <br /> with all associated costs billed to the property owner. <br /> If a property owner feels we have made a mistake in the correction or billing <br /> they have a right to send a written protest to the Finance Officer. These <br /> protests are forwarded to the Maintenance Planning Section for fact finding <br /> and for the composing of a reply letter. This protest and city reply is the <br /> final actions available to the property owner on vacant lots mowed during the <br /> summer. For all others, the property owner can continue the protest to a <br /> Hearings Official. No protests required a Hearings Official in 1988. <br />