4578-88,•• •
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ORDINANCE NO. 4578-88
AN ORDINANCE OF THE- CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA,
RELATING TO LOT CLEARING; AMENDING SECTIONS 95.01
THROUGH 95.05, CODE OF ORDINANCES, PROHIBITING CERTAIN
GROWTHS OF VEGETATION AND THE ACCUMULATION OF
DEBRIS WITHIN THE CITY; PROVIDING FOR DEFINITIONS AND
PROCEDURES; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
Section 1. Sections 95.01, 95.02, 95.03, 95.04 and 95.05, Code of Ordinances, are
amended to reads
See. 95.01. Authority; short title.
(a) Pursuant to the authority granted by Article VIII, Section 2(b), Florida
Constitution, and F.S. S 166.021, known as the "Municipal Home Rule Powers Act," the
city commission hereby establishes these rules and procedures whereby property
located in the city may be cleared of excessive growth of weeds or other plants or
cleared of excessive accumulation of plant material or of debris, as defined herein
trash; junk or ether noxious materials, and abandoned property.
(b) This article may shat} be known as the "City of Clearwater Lot Clearing
Ordinance."
See. 95.02. Intent.
It is hereby declared; due to the pepulatien density of the eity; that the
excessive growth or accumulation of weeds, undergrowth and similar wing or dead
plant material, or the accumulation of debris as defined herein T or ether nexus
materktb upon property situated in the incorporated limits of the city is contrary to
the public health, safety and general welfare of the residents of the . _? in that
because such growth or accumulation creates a haven or breeding place for snakes,
rats, rodents and other vermin of like or similar character, or creates a breeding place
for mosquitoes, creates a fire hazard to adjacent properties or adversely affects and
impairs the value eeenomie welfare of adjacent property, or constitutes an attractive
nuisance whereby young children and other persons may suffer injury or death, or
Provides a point of collection of stagnant Ypools of water, or contains gasoline or other
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flammable materials, or constitutes a traffic safety hazard by obscuring the vision of
motorists, and by reason of such factors is hereby declared to be a public nuisance. It
Is, therefore, deemed to be in the best interest of the public health, safety and general
welfare of the ei#izens of the eity that such growths or accumulations; whether tkey
be #n the nature of weeds er ether -farms of plant 4ffe or other mate; be removed
in accordance with the 4&H wft procedures set forth in of this chapter.
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See.9S.OL Definttions.
The following words and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall mean have the
meanings respeetively aseribed to them:
"Abandoned" shall mean voluntarily relinquished b the owner for an a arentl
indefinite period of time. Asa lied to motor vehicles or other articles of personal
pro rt the term includes but' is not limited to an motor vehicle or other article of
22rsonal ro rt which is left upon private property without the consent of the
owner, lessee or-occupant thereof for longer than two h(,urs.
"Debris" shall mean abandoned or inoperative material which is stored externally
and shall include, but not. be limited to one or more of the following: Discarded
household items; inoperative or abandoned machinery, motor vehicles, boats, trailers
auternelfles, or household appliances, including but not limited tofreezers,
refri erators Ice boxes stoves dishwashers and washing or dr n machines for
. clothing; or refuse, garbage, rubbish, trash, funk, used scrap, disearded lumber, pipe,
steel, plumbing fixtures, insulation, barrels, boxes, drums, piping, glass, e3d iron,
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machinery, excelsior or plastic or like materiaL
"Excessive growth" shall mean the growth of weeds or plants which are not
cultivated or landscaped or regularly tended which reach a height in excess of twelve
(12) Inches.
"ExterneR " shall mean outside a fully enclosed building or structure except
that materials stored in a carport shall not be deemed to be stored externally.
'Inoperative" shall mean not In woridn condition as desi ed or Incapable of
being operated lawfully. For example, without limiting the means of the term a
motor vehicle desi ed to be operated upon the public streets shall be deemed
Inoperative if a current registration _,tag also known as a license plate) of a kind
required under Florida law as a condition of operation u 22n the public streets is not
affixed thereto or if one or more arts which are required for the o eration of the
vehicle are missing or not attached„ to the vehicle as designed.
"owner" with respect to real ro ert shall mean the person, corporation,
partnership, or other legal entit eemparty; trust; estate or any eemblrtatien of ether
business or legal} entiflesy singular or plural, which is a record owner or owners as
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recorded on the current tax rolls of the county. For condominium property, {For}-
property owned and operated as eondominium,- the owner shall mean the condominium
association and not the individual unit owners.
"Property" shall mean any individual platted parcel of real property or any
portion thereof; as 1-t fe reeorded In the pubNe reeerds of the eounty, whether or not
saeh pareet ie eentiguoug to any other platted pareei; er any Individual- pareel• of real
property deseribed by metes and bounds In the public reeerds of the eounty:
See. 95.04. Prohibitionsl removal of abandoned property.-
(a) No person shall permit the excessive growth or accumulation of weeds
undergrowth or other similar plant materials, or the accumulation of debris, which to
unattended and which ereates a haven and breeding place for snakes, rats,- rodents or
ether vermin of similar hind and eharaeter or which furnishes a breeding pleeee for
rneaquitees or whieh ereates a fire hazard endangering nearby atruetares or ether,
- flammable materials; upon property situated In the city.
(b) • The property owner of any real property abutting any dedicated right-of-
way in the city shall be required to keep such right-of-way in a clean and sanitary
condition at all times by keeping the same free from weeds and trash of all kinds and
by keeping the grass mowed. In mowing the grass in the area designated herein, the
property owner shall cut the grass In such a manner that the grass as mowed does not
extend over the sidewalk, bicycle path, curbline or edge of pavement of an Improved
right-of-way by more than four (4) inches.
(c) Any owner or lessee of developed property who removes or has removed
from the property any hedges, tree trimmings, boxes or other household Items, shall
have the same cut into lengths no longer than four (4) feet and deposited at the edge
of the street In front of the property for pick up by city sanitation trucks on their
t regular days of pick up. Should the city refuse to pick up Items such as but not limited
to mattresses, pieces of furniture, or old refrigerators, which are too large to place
into city sanitation trucks, It will be the responsibility of the property owner or lessee
to remove said Items within ten (10) days or such owner or lesssee will be Issued a
citation by the sanitation division for allowing such material to cause a nuisance to the
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general neighborhood. If the property owner or lessee contracts for the services of a
commercial landscaper, tree surgeon or others In the business of clearing or improving
property, the contractor shall wil-i be responsible for the removal of all debris and
cuttings. Failure to remove the debris and cuttings shall will. result In a citation being
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Issued to the violator. Any person violating the provisions of this subparagrnph shall
be subject to a fine of not more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00).
(d} Pursuant to F.Br S 7954.6(4)(a) (b); the provisions of such aectlen are
hereby adopted by reference and shag eensti'tute the provisions that w41i' apply Ott the
removal of abandoned property from publie and pHvate property, except righte-ef-
way, In the eityr The term uabandened propertyu shat} have that meaning as set forth
In F -.B-. 5 irp5716(204; 'fhe term udebriou as defined In sretlon 95;88 and the term
uabandaned prmpertyu as defined hereln shall' be construed as being mutually exelueWer
In vOllaing the procedure set out- In F-.S 5 79Fr. 46(4)fs)T {b}; sueh required nonce ahal~1'
contain a provision providing that a pre-taiei'ng hearing wig' be conducted before the
eede enfereement beard and set-tit?g 4'or4h the pleee and tfine of such hetkAngr Sueh
provtslan shall also advise the owner or person interested in the property proposed to
be removed that such person may appear, at such hearing and cent-eat the dee4sfon that
-- such property is abandoned:
The procedure incorporated by this subparagraph to be utilised In removing
abandoned property shall be applied separately from the procedure otherwise set out iii
this chapter for the clearance of Iota:
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The sanitatiart aupeKntendent 'er, his designee shall' have the responalb?llty of
enforcing the provisions of F.-Sr 5 795.46r
1 Sec. 85.05. Eaeeptians Etternptlena.
(a), Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 95.04:
1) An Inoperative motor vehicle boat or trailer ma be kept upon
,- residenttall zoned ro ert or the property of a residential use for not more than
thirty 30) days unless kept In a garage or carport, or for an indefinite period of time if
kept in a garage or carport.
{2 An inoperative motor vehicle, boat, trailer or other material which
err otherwise would be defined as debris may be kept upon nonresidential ro ert where
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the owner or tenant Is licensed for the service or storage of such material.
(bJ The provisions of prehibit4ons eontaised In section 95.04 relatinr
to weeds,
,
undergrowth or similar plant material shall not apply to the following:
(1) Any lands within the incorporated area of the city whch are over five
+.' (5) acres in area and in an undeveloped state; as used in this paragraph, the term
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never been cut or mowed;
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(2) Wetlands and environmentally sensitive areas as designated in the
adopted environmental management conservation plan;
(3) Any parcel of land within the incorporated area of the city which Is
undeveloped and which is primarily In a natural state of vogetationt and which Is not
otherwise in violation of section 95.04.
(q) The provisions of Section 95.04 relating to motor vehicles and boats shall
not apply to abandoned or Inoperative motor vehicles or boats found upon the public
streets or public property within the City, which shall be sub ect to the notice and
` removal procedures set forth in Sections 705.102 through 705.104, Florida Statutes.
Section 2. This ordinance shall take effect Immediately upon adoption.
PASSED ON FIRST READING April 7, 1988
t PASSED ON SECOND AND
FINAL READING AND ADOPTED April 1, 1988
Mayor-C mm ss oner
Attest:
C t lerk
' Approved as to form
and correctness:,
City Attorney
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