§ 254-42. Removal of leaves.

A. 

City of Oneonta property owners who have insufficient space or choose not to compost fallen leaves on their property may be allowed to have such leaves removed by the Public Service Department, provided such leaves are raked and contained in biodegradable bags weighing less than 25 pounds and which are placed at curbside only during the pickup dates as announced each fall by the Public Service Department.

B. 

Restrictions. In no case may residents, property owners or their agents rake fallen leaves onto City of Oneonta-owned property, streets, sidewalks or medians. In addition, biodegradable bags put out for City pickup or delivered to the City facility on Silas Lane must contain only leaves and similarly sized incidental organic materials. Bags which are not biodegradable or which contain materials other than leaves, such as but not limited to, rocks, dirt, sticks, lumber, glass, plastics, metal, refuse, etc., or any materials deposited at times other than City-announced pickup dates, may be refused pickup by the Public Service Department.

C. 

Authority to cause removal; assessment of cost of removal by City. Whenever any owner or occupant of such property shall fail or neglect to remove such unaccepted materials as aforesaid, the Public Service Department or Code Enforcement Office may have the bags and/or materials removed therefrom after 72 hours' notice by ordinary mail to the owner or registered agent of the property, and the cost of such removal, together with an additional charge of 50% thereof for supervision and administration, shall be assessed against such property, and the same shall be levied, corrected, enforced and collected in the same manner, by the same proceedings, at the same time, under the same penalties, and having the same lien upon the property so assessed as the general City tax and as a part thereof.

D. 

Appeals. Any appeal from the actions taken by the City under this provision must be submitted in writing within 10 days of the date of the original bill by written request to the City Clerk.

Editor's Note: This ordinance provided for an effective date of January 1, 2005.

Added 4-20-2004 by Ord. No. 3-2004