REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Travis Hopkins, City Manager
VIA: Jennifer Villasenor, Director of Community Development
PREPARED BY: Jimmy Hoang, Code Enforcement Manager
Subject:
title
Public Hearing and Authorization for the 2025 Annual Weed Abatement Program
body
Statement of Issue:
On April 1, 2025, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2025-19, declaring weeds and rubbish on certain vacant or undeveloped properties are a public nuisance. Before the City can clear these properties, a public hearing must be held to allow property owners the opportunity to object. If no valid objections are received, the City may proceed with the cleanup and recover its costs from the property owners.
Financial Impact:
The City has budgeted $12,000 in the Weed Abatement Program (Account No. 10060301.69450) to cover the cost of clearing both public and private properties. When the City clears a private property, the cost is added as a one-time special assessment to that property owner’s Orange County tax bill. These funds are then reimbursed to the City’s General Fund (Account No. 10000100.47415).
Recommended Action:
recommendation
A) Open the public hearing to hear any objections to the proposed weed and rubbish removal; and,
B) Authorize the Director of Public Works to proceed with the abatement of the identified nuisance conditions.
end
Alternative Action(s):
Postpone the public hearing and direct staff to revise the weed abatement schedule.
Analysis:
On April 1, 2025, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2025-19, declaring weeds and rubbish on certain vacant or undeveloped properties are a public nuisance. The City’s annual Weed Abatement Program helps ensure that vacant and undeveloped properties are maintained and do not pose fire, health, or visual hazards to the community.
As required by California Government Code Section 39501, Resolution No. 2025-19 declares the presence of weeds, refuse, and rubbish on specific properties to be a public nuisance. The resolution also scheduled a public hearing for May 6, 2025, to allow affected property owners to raise objections.
Notices were posted on the subject properties by April 25, 2025, in accordance with the legal requirement to post at least 10 days prior to the hearing. Additionally, individual notices were mailed to property owners of record informing them of the hearing date and their responsibility to clear the property.
If a property owner does not voluntarily remove the weeds or rubbish, City staff will coordinate the cleanup. The cost of that work is charged to the property owner as a one-time special assessment on their property tax bill. The County of Orange then returns these funds to the City during the normal property tax collection cycle.
This process ensures that properties are kept safe and clean while allowing the City to recover its costs without using additional taxpayer funds.
Environmental Status:
The removal of weeds, refuse, and rubbish from undeveloped private properties is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(h), which exempts the maintenance of existing landscaping and native growth.
Strategic Plan Goal:
Non Applicable - Administrative Item
Attachment(s):
1. Resolution No. 2025-19
2. Affidavit of Posting Notice to Destroy Weeds
3. 2025 Notice to Destroy Weeds and Remove Rubbish and Refuse
4. PowerPoint Presentation