City Ordinance Requires Property Owners to Cut Tall Grass and WEeds

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051",3/05 FRI.19:48 FA% 541 682 4882 Et1GENE PW MNTNC & POS PW ADMIN QI001 E U G E N E Parks and o ~n s ace N E ti~V S R E L E A S E ~ a wwwci.eugene.or.us/parks May 13, 2005 CQNI~ACT: • Kristi Hayden, Vegetation Program Manager, City of Eugene, 682-4821 • Therese M. Picado, Public Information Specialist, Parks and Open Space, 682-4814 ~QR IMMEDIATE RELEASE City Ordinance Requires Property Owners to Cut Tall Grass and Weeds According to City of Eugene code, property owners are required to maintain vegetation on their pnaperty in order to reduce potential fire hazards, eliminate traffic vision problems, and provide for albprc?priate use and access within the public right-of-way. The following conditions are considered public n~risances and are subject to enforcement by the City: • Grass and weeds over 10 inches ~rr • Trees and shrubs that obstruct streets, alleys, and sidewalks • Blackberry vines that extend into a public right-of-way or cross property lines • Any vegetation that obstructs motorists' visibility "Enforcement of nuisance vegetation codes is intended to protect the safety, health and general wjelfare of Eugene's atizens and visitors," says the City's Vegetation Program Manager Kristi Hayden. "Our goal is to obtain voluntary compliance by providing information to property owners about their responsibilities to maintain vegetation." The City requests the cooperation of property owners in monitoring and maintaining vegetation and other debris on both developed and undeveloped property all the way up to the curb line, inducting vRegetation growing over the sidewalk. The City annually reminds property owners of their vegetation maintenance responsibilities through newspaper advertisements and/or by letter. Violations on developed property are enforced year-round with the property owner being notified and given ten days to correct the problem. Traffic vision, right-of-way obstructions and blackberry encroachment violations on undeveloped property are also enforced year-round under the same notification process. However, tall grass and weeds bn undeveloped property are considered a nuisance only between June 15 and September 30 but may be abated by the City without further notice. In either case, if it is necessary for the City to abate a nuisance vegetation problem, the property owner will be charged alt costs incurred in performing the necessary work, including administrative costs. The minimum charge for any abatement is $166. For more information, call 682-4821 or visit www.ci.eugene.or.us/parksNege/taligrass.htm.