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Memo
City Attorney's Office
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TO: Steve Schainker, City Manager
Paul Wiegand, Director of Public Works
FROM: John R. Klaus, City Attorney*
DATE: October 20, 1999
SUBJECT: Lawn Care Ordinance
After further review, it seems to me that the"reasonable person" ordinance is too ambiguous, with
too many potential legal and administrative problems.
Attached is a simple ordinance to create a duty on owners and/or tenants to mow lawns so they do
not have grass or weeds more than six inches long. The ordinance would not conflict with the state
laws, and it is not vague. The term"lawn"has an ordinary dictionary definition that is appropriate
to our purpose, i.e.: "a plot of grass". So, the ordinance will not apply to areas of a yard devoted to
beds of flowers or any ornamental plantings other than grass. However, the ordinance will prohibit
the use of a residential property as a site for establishment of a natural prairie.
With your support, I would like to submit this ordinance to the City Council for its first
consideration at the meeting of November 9.
cc Diane Voss
ORDINANCE NO.
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF THE CITY OF
AMES, IOWA, BY ENACTING A NEW SECTION 17.33 FOR THE
PURPOSE OF REQUIRING THE MAINTENANCE OF LAWNS;
PROVIDING A PENALTY;AND ESTABLISHING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
BE IT ENACTED,by the City Council for the City of Ames,Iowa,that:
Section One. The Municipal Code of the City of Ames,Iowa shall be and the same is hereby amended by
enacting a new Sec. 17.33 as follows:
"Sec. 17.33. MAINTENANCE OF LAWNS REQUIRED.
(1) It shall be the duty of the owner,tenant or other person having control of residential
premises to cause the lawn areas of such premises to be mowed so that the grass and weeds of such
lawn area are not of any height or length greater than six inches.
(2) Failure to perform the duties required by this section shall constitute a municipal
infraction punishable by a penalty of$500 for a person's first violation and a penalty of$750 for each
repeat violation. Additionally, the Court may be asked to grant an appropriate order to abate or
correct the violation."
Section Two. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and publication as
required by law.
Passed this day of 11999.
Diane R.Voss,City Clerk Ted Tedesco,Mayor
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