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February 10, 2015 - City Manager’s Report - 15 - 67 - Adoption of an ordinance to amend Chapter 23 of the Code of the City of Portsmouth, Virginia (2006) by amending Sections 23-27 and 23-28 thereof pertaining to City notices to abate high grass and weeds. Vision Principles: Change and New Directions, Neighborhoods and a Sense of Community, Quality of Life, and Efficient Responsive Government. Background:  Currently Chapter 23 of the City Code requires staff to wait until a notice is returned from the Post Office as undeliverable before posting the property and using a contractor to abate the nuisance.  This action delays enforcement action by as much as 28 days.  In a Citizen engagement effort begun in September and ending at the end of November 788 persons responded to the question of how many notices should be issued in a calendar year before the City begins automatically cutting the grass and placing a lien on the property.  Of the 788 responses the largest group indicated the City should issue 2 notices in a calendar year. Discussion:  The proposed change will allow the property to be posted at the time of the initial inspection.  For those property owners who have never received a notice, a five day courtesy notice will be issued.  After that notice has expired, one seven day notice will be issued and the property posted. If the property has not been cut after the seven day notice has expired a contractor will be engaged to eliminate the nuisance.  Once the one courtesy notice has been issued, no other courtesy notices will be issued as long as that property owner maintains ownership of that property.  Once a two Violation Notices has been issued in a calendar year, no additional notice will be issued during that calendar year. The inspector will immediately engage a contractor to eliminate the nuisance if allowed to reoccur. Financial Impact:  It is anticipated the cost of contracting nuisance properties will double for the first year and then reduce as property owners begin to understand the requirement to comply with the City’s ordinance. Recommended Action:  Adoption of the ordinance. Vision Principles: Change and New Directions, Neighborhoods and a Sense of Community, Quality of Life, and Efficient Responsive Government. Next Steps Following Council Action:  Final Email blast of the ordinance change and the staff begins enforcement March 1, 2015. Motion by Ms. Psimas, and seconded by Mr. Meeks, to adopt the following ordinance, and was adopted by the following vote: “ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 23 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA (2006) BY AMENDING SECTIONS 23-27 AND 23-28 THEREOF PERTAINING TO CITY ISSUANCE OF A NOTICE TO ABATE HIGH GRASS AND WEEDS.” Ayes: Cherry, Edmonds, Meeks, Psimas, Whitaker, Wright Nays: None