Public Works recommends changing noxious weeds rules
By Robert Cloud
The Board of Public Works voted Aug. 1 to recommend amending the municipal ordinance regulating how the city of New London enforces the height of grass and weeds.
Public Works Director Robert Garske presented his proposed amendment at an earlier meeting.
He noted that after the city receives a complaint from phone, email, visual or social media, the complaint is emailed to the street superintendent.
The superintendent inspects the property and if they are violating the ordinance, he leaves a door hanger informing the owner they have five days to comply.
Currently, the ordinance sets a 12-inch limit on the height of grass.
The proposed amendment would change that to 8 inches.
It also increases the fees for those who refuse to comply within five days.
“If they have not cut their lawn, he (superintendent) then sends the city crew to cut, trim and blow the lot so it looks professional.” Garske noted in his memo. “The time it takes to do the job is logged and so is the equipment used.”
If city personnel mow someone’s non-compliant lawn, the city currently charges a $50 administrative fee, plus an hourly labor rate and equipment charge.
Garske noted that the city sent 29 notifications, seven of which remained noncompliant.
Invoices for the mowing ranged from $65.41 to $133.26 with an average invoice of $108.25.
Under the amended ordinance, the city would charge a $100 administrative fee, plus a one-hour minimum billing for equipment and labor at $75.
The city would also charge in billing increments of one-half hour after the first hour.
“The compliance letter sent out stating that the fee would start at $175 might help property owners comply,” Garske said in his memo.
New London’s ordinance, Section 10.03(5) of the Municipal Code defines noxious weeds as Canada thistle, leafy spurge, quackgrass, sow thistle, ragweed, poison ivy, poison oak and filed bindweed or creeping jenny.
The proposed amendment now goes before the city council for approval.