Laserfiche WebLink
BACKGROUND <br />In the City of Pleasanton, the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department (LPFD) addresses <br />fire hazards resulting from an overgrowth of grasses, weeds, shrubbery and trees <br />through the LPFD Weed Abatement Program. This program has been established in <br />compliance with Government Code sections 39560-39588. The LPFD Weed Abatement <br />Program's goal is to establish afire-safe community through property owners' voluntary <br />compliance with the LPFD's weed abatement standards. <br />Weed abatement involves the following steps, the first of which is addressed in the <br />resolution that accompanies this agenda report: <br />1. Inspection, Declaration of Nuisance, and Notification. LPFD <br />inspectors survey property throughout the City of Pleasanton and identify <br />those parcels that are hazardous due to an overgrowth of grasses, weeds, <br />shrubbery and trees and/or the presence of dirt, refuse and rubbish. <br />Properties that do not comply with the LPFD's weed abatement standards, <br />Attachment 2, are included on a list that is presented to the City Council. <br />The City Council reviews the list and declares that some or all of the <br />parcels are public nuisances, requiring abatement. The City Council may <br />also find and declare that weeds on specified parcels are seasonal and <br />recurrent nuisances. The City Clerk then mails a notice to the property <br />owners ordering them to abate the weed problem on their properties. In <br />some cases, the notice is posted on the parcel. The notice also provides <br />the weed abatement standards and sets a compliance date and protest <br />hearing date. <br />2. Protest Hearing and Order to Abate. The City Council hears and <br />considers all objections to the abatement proposed and then orders <br />abatement by a contractor. <br />3. Bids and Award of Contract for Weed Abatement. The Public Works <br />Department solicits bids for weed abatement services. The contract is <br />awarded to the lowest responsive bidder. <br />4. Re-inspection and Abatement. LPFD inspectors re-inspect the parcels <br />on the abatement list. If a hazard still exists and abatement hasn't <br />occurred by the May 31St deadline set by the LPFD, the contractor abates <br />the weeds. <br />5. Tax Lien. The property owners are sent an invoice for the abatement <br />costs, plus a 100% mark up charge. Any amount not paid by the property <br />owners is placed as a special assessment on the property owner's tax bill. <br />Page 2 of 3 <br />