09 Attachment 3 - Abatement Program PacketATTACHMENT 3
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Return Address
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Santa Clara County Weed Abatement Program
Consumer and Environmental Protection Agency
1553 Berger Drive, Bldg. #1
San Jose, California, 95112
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TRA 03
Notice to
Destroy
Weeds
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on December 3, 2019, pursuant to the provisions of Section
11.20.020 of the Town Code of the Town of Los Gatos, the Town Council of said Town adopted a
Resolution declaring that all weeds growing upon any private property or in any street, sidewalk or
alley, as defined in Section 11.20.020 of such code, constitute a public nuisance, which nuisance must
be abated by the destruction or removal thereof.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that property owners shall within thirty days after the adoption of
such resolution, or within the time specified in a written agreement with the Director of Parks and
Pubic Works of the Town of Los Gatos, or the Director of Parks and Pubic Works' representative,
whichever time shall be later, remove all such weeds from their property, the abutting sidewalks, and
the abutting half of the street in front, and alleys, if any, behind such property, and between the lot
lines thereof as extended, or such weeds will be destroyed or removed and such nuisance abated by
the Town of Los Gatos, in which case the cost of such destruction or removal will be assessed upon
the lots and lands from which, or from the front or rear of which, such weeds shall have been destroyed
or removed; and such cost will constitute a lien upon such lots or lands until paid, and will be collected
upon the next tax roll upon which general municipal taxes are collected. All property owners having
any objections to the proposed destruction or removal of such weeds are hereby notified to attend a
meeting of the Town Council of such Town to be held in the Council Chambers of said Town at 110
East Main Street, Los Gatos, California, on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 at 7:00 p.m., or as soon
thereafter as the matter can be heard, when their objections will be heard and given due consideration.
The language and format for this notice is required by California Health and Safety Code Sections
14891 Et. Seq.
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LOS GATOS WEED ABATEMENT PROGRAM SCHEDULE
January 21, 2020 Public hearing to consider objections to Abatement List.
April 15, 2020 PARCEL ABATEMENT DEADLINE
Parcel must be free from hazardous vegetation by this date
or Inspector will order abatement.
July-August, 2020 Assessment Hearing to protest abatement charges
. (Date subject to change, please confirm with City Clerk)
2020 COUNTY WEED ABATEMENT FEES
Properties in the Weed Abatement Program, you will be responsible for an annual inspection fee of
$101.00 per parcel.
Please be advised that the property owner of any parcel found to be non-compliant on or after
the March 1st deadline will be charged a processing fee of $582.00 and the property will be
scheduled for abatement by the County contractor. If you complete the abatement work
before the County contractor performs the abatement, you will not incur further charges.
Should the abatement work be performed by a County contractor, you will be assessed the
contractor’s charges plus a County administrative fee of $984.00 per parcel.
2020 COUNTY CONTRACTOR’S WEED ABATEMENT PRICE LIST
A) Disc Work**
PARCEL SIZE: 1st Disc + 2nd Disc = Total Discs
0-12,500 sq.ft. $399.80 $160.73 $560.53
12,501sq.ft.- 43,560sq.ft. $399.80 $160.73 $560.53
Larger than 1 Acre $290.41 $141.83 $432.24 (PER ACRE)
** It is required that parcels be disced twice a year. The cost for the first discing is higher due to
additional work normally required during the first discing.
B) HANDWORK $5.40 PER 100 Square Feet (SF)
C) FLAIL 6 Foot Mower $6.89 PER 1,000 SF
MOWING 12 Foot Mower $6.89 PER 1,000 SF
D) LOADER WORK $165.20 PER HOUR
E) DUMP TRUCK $152.49 PER HOUR
F) BRUSH WORK $5.16 PER 100 SF
G) DEBRIS REMOVAL $52.49 PER HOUR
H) DUMP FEE 100%
Added to orders with debris removal at 100% of the dump site charge.
*Please note this program does not offer herbicide application as a method of abatement.
MINIMUM FIRE SAFETY STANDARDS
Fire Safety
Through
Vegetation
Management
Fire Resistant Landscaping
Santa Clara County
Consumer and Environmental
Protection Agency
Weed Abatement Program
1553 Berger Drive #1
San Jose, Ca 95112
Phone (408) 282-3145
Fax: (408) 286-2460
SCC.WeedAbatement@cep.sccgov.org
1. Vegetation must not exceed 6 inches in height any time after the compliance deadline.
2. Maintain grasses and weeds below 6 inches for 10 feet horizontally on both sides of all roadways, including
driveways and access routes. Roads and Driveways must maintain a clearance of 10’ W by 13’6” H for all vegetation
3. Clear flammable vegetation a minimum of 30 feet around any structure, occupied or not. Ornamental vegetation
should be kept clear of dead material. Some conditions, such as slopes, may require up to a 100-foot clearance.
4. Parcels one acre or less shall be completely abated. Parcels over one acre up to five acres require 30-foot clearance
around structures and perimeter property lines. Additional 30-foot cross fuel breaks may also be required.
5. Parcels larger than five acres require 30-foot clearance around structures and perimeter property lines in addition to
30-foot cross fuel breaks as needed to separate the remaining vegetation into sections no larger than five acres.
6. Keep property clear of accumulation of combustible debris, such as trash, wood, and dead vegetation. Stacked
firewood and neatly piled yard waste is not considered to be combustible debris.
7. Keep vegetation cleared from under the eaves of houses.
8. Trim tree branches to at least 10 feet away from chimney.
9. Clear leaves, pine needles and debris from roof and gutters.
The following is a partial list of fire resistant plants that you may choose to use around your home to reduce the risk of fire. Contact your local
nursery for selections appropriate to your area. All grasses, including those purportedly fire resistant, must be maintained below 6” in height.
Trees:
African Sumac
California Pepper
Shrubs:
Bearberry
Carmel Creeper
Carolina Cherry
Catalina Cherry
Escallonia
Hopseed Bush Lemonade Berry
Groundcover:
Aaron’s Beard
Australian Daisy
Candytuft
Sterile Capeweed
Freeway Daisy
Rock rose (except Gum Variety)
The Santa Clara County Weed
Abatement Program
The Santa Clara County Department of Agriculture and
Environmental Management and your city are working together to protect your community from fire. We need your help. Please read
and follow the directions provided in this brochure regarding fire prevention on your property. The purpose of the Weed Abatement
Program is to prevent fire hazards posed by vegetative growth
and the accumulation of combustible materials.
The Weed Abatement program is entirely funded from fees
charged to residents. Fees will be assessed for any property in the program. This is to cover the cost of the compliance inspection for
the property. Properties that fail the compliance inspection will be
charged a failed inspection fee, even if the resident completes the weed abatement. If the property requires abatement by the
County contractor, the property owner will be responsible for the actual cost of abatement plus an administrative fee. Properties
that meet and maintain the minimum fire safety standards will not
be charged other than the annual fee.
Program staff annually inspect parcels at the beginning of the fire
season, which is typically in March or April depending on your
jurisdiction. If the parcel is not in compliance at the time of
inspection, the property owner will be charged a failed inspection
fee, and the owner will be sent a courtesy notice as a reminder to
abate the weeds. If the weeds are not abated by the property
owner, the work will be completed by the County contractor. The
property owner will pay the contractor’s fees plus a County
administrative fee. All fees will be included in your property tax
bill.
Our Goal Is Voluntary Compliance
Property Owner’s Responsiblilities
• Do not allow a fire hazard to exist on your property. The Minimum Fire Safety Standards (MFSS) in this brochure give you guidelines
to follow in order to maintain your property and protect against a
fire hazard. Please contact our office if you need guidance or have any questions regarding the requirements!
• Make arrangements to have your property maintained throughout
the year. Contractors can be found in the yellow pages. You may
choose to have the County contractor maintain your property. A
current price list is included in your packet.
• Please complete and return the Reply Form provided in your
mailing packet by the date on the form. Indicate your preference
regarding performance of weed abatement services.
Program Staff Responsibilities
• Weed Abatement Inspectors will perform periodic inspections on all parcels included in the Santa Clara
County Weed Abatement Program. Properties that fail the
compliance inspection will be charged a failed inspection fee, even if the resident completes the weed abatement.
• Inspectors will order the County contractor to perform all necessary abatement work on any parcel where the MFSS are
not met. An attempt will be made to give the owner a courtesy
notice prior to releasing the work order.
• The County contractor uses several methods of abatement including discing and handwork. The property owner is free to
select whatever method they choose, provided the MFSS of all
federal, state and local laws are met.
• The Weed Abatement Program will place inspection costs and
the charges for County contractor services plus a County
administrative fee on the property owner’s tax bill during the
next fiscal year.
Burrowing Owls
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why have I received an Abatement Notice?
A. Typically, a property is placed on the program if a Weed
Abatement Inspector identified a potential fire hazard on the property.
Fire Departments and other agencies also submit complaints to the
Weed Abatement Program.
Q. What is required of me now that I am in the Program?
A. All property owners are required to maintain their property free of
fire hazards throughout the year.
Q. The grasses planted on my property are fire resistant. Are
they exempt from the Weed Abatement program?
A. No. Even grasses that possess some fire resistant qualities are not
fire proof, and they can add fuel to any site that is subject to a fire. Additionally, fire resistant grasses are rarely found in a pure,
homogenous stand but rather are usually found to occur mixed with
other common introduced annual grasses that are highly flammable and hazardous in a fire event. Finally, many grasses occur in Santa
Clara County and species identification is difficult in the field, especially after the spring when the reproductive portions required for
identification have dried and dispersed. Weed Abatement Inspectors
can only focus on the presence of grasses and weeds on your property and the Minimum Fire Safety Standards, and not on grass
species identification. Therefore, all grasses are required to be below
6 inches in height.
Q. What is the SC County Weed Abatement Program?
A. This is a monitoring program and our primary objective is
voluntary compliance. See the first two paragraphs of this brochure
for further specifics.
These small owls nest in abandoned ground squirrel
burrows. Discing collapses the burrows and kills the young.
These owls are listed as a state Species of Special Concern
and are protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. If
you suspect burrowing owls on your property you must use
another form of weed abatement such as mowing or weed-
eating. If you request the County perform abatement
services, please notify program staff or your City if burrowing
owls are known to exist on your property.
More FAQ:
Q. How long will I be on the Program?
A. Your property will remain on the Program for three years. If
no hazards are found during that time, your property may be
removed from the program.
Q. How much will this cost me?
A. There will be an annual fee to cover the cost of the
compliance inspection. If the parcel does not meet the MFSS
when it is first inspected in the spring, or if work is required by
the County contractor, you will be charged additional fees. Our
goal is to ensure that the MFSS are met at the lowest possible
cost to the property owner.
Q. How will I be billed?
A. Any charges for the inspection and any abatement work
performed will appear as a special assessment on your next
property tax bill.
Q. Why have you performed work on my property while
the vegetation is still green?
A. Grass, weeds or piles of combustible debris have been
declared a public nuisance by your jurisdiction. Abating fire
hazards in the spring minimizes the volume of combustible
material before the hazards increase and dries out completely
during the peak fire season.
Q. Will you notify me prior to beginning abatement work?
A. Property owners are responsible for preventing fire hazards
on their property. If the MFSS have been met, but further work
is necessary, you will receive notice prior to the County
contractor performing the work. If the MFSS have not been
met, an attempt will be made to give the owner a courtesy
notice prior to initial abatement.
Q. Where can I find someone to provide abatement
services?
A. Weed Abatement contractors can be found in the Yellow
Pages under “Weed Control Services” or “Discing Services”.
You may have the County contractor perform the necessary
work; see your mailing packet for a current price list as
administrative costs are charged.
Q. How can I get additional information or assistance
regarding the specific requirements for my property?
A. Weed Abatement Inspectors are available to assist you and
answer your questions. Please call our Customer Service line
at (408) 282-3145 to schedule a consultation with program
staff or to obtain additional information.
Q. I have Grazing Animals do I need to perform
abatement?
A. Grazing animals do not absolve you of your responsibilities to provide a fire safe condition on your property. You will need
to check with our office to determine if grazing is adequate or if additional work is required.