[Adopted 8-4-1997 by Ord. No. 97-2479 as Ch. 234, Art. III, of the 1996 Township Code]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
PLANT LIFE
Includes any brush, hedges and other plant life on lands within the Township.
The Township Committee hereby finds and declares that the existence of plant life growing within 10 feet of any roadway and within 25 feet of the intersection of two roadways to a height in excess of 2 1/2 feet is inimical to the preservation of public safety and general welfare and is likely to constitute a traffic hazard.
Whenever it shall appear to the Township Committee that the existence upon any land within the Township of plant life growing within 10 feet of any roadway and within 25 feet of the intersection of two roadways and exceeding 2 1/2 feet in height is hazardous to the public safety or general welfare of the residents of the Township or those using its highways or constitutes a safety hazard, the owner or tenant of any such lands shall be required to cut such plant life to a height of not more than 2 1/2 feet within 10 days after service of notice requiring such trimming or cutting.
Such notice may be made orally or in writing by any member of the Police Department or other person authorized by the Township Committee. The written notice may be served upon the owner or tenant of said lands by delivering a notice to him or by mailing it registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to him at his last known address. Delivery of the notice shall mean handing it to the owner or the tenant or leaving it at his dwelling house or usual place of abode with some competent members of his family of the age of 14 years or over then residing therein. Service by mail shall be deemed complete upon the date of delivery of said registered or certified mail as appears on the return receipt from the postal authorities.
Every such notice shall, in addition to requiring the cutting as aforesaid, warn the owner or tenant of the lands to which it refers that failure to accomplish such cutting will result in the cutting by or under the direction of the Chief of Police. The notice shall also state that in the event of the cutting as designated above, the cost of such cutting shall forthwith become a lien upon said lands and shall be added to and become a part of the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon the same, to bear interest at the same rate and to be collected as in the case of such taxes.
Whenever the owner or tenant of any lands receiving notice to cut from said lands any plant life shall have neglected or refused to effect the cutting of said plant life in the manner and within the time hereinabove provided, such cutting shall be accomplished by or under the direction of the Chief of Police designated in § 428-44, who, upon completion thereof, shall certify the cost to the Township Committee. The Township Committee shall examine the certificate and, if it shall find the same to be correct, it shall cause the cost so certified to be charged against said lands. The amount of such charge shall forthwith become a lien upon said lands and shall be added to and become and form a part of the taxes next to be assessed as taxes and to be collected and enforced by the same officers and in the same manner as taxes.
The County of Monmouth is herewith designated as an agent of the Township, empowered to carry out the terms of this article on all county roads and at all intersections with county roads, located within the Township; provided, however, that the County of Monmouth shall act only upon authority given by the passage of a resolution by the Township Committee which shall specifically authorize the work to be done by the County of Monmouth under the provisions of this article; provided, further, that in such event, there will be no fees or charges levied against the affected property owners in the Township.
A. 
Every owner or tenant who shall refuse or neglect to cut or trim any plant life in the manner and within the time hereinabove provided in this article or who violates any provision of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to the penalties provided in § 1-4 of this Code. A separate offense shall be deemed committed on each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues.
[Amended 8-22-1988 by Ord. No. 2063[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
B. 
The imposition and collection of any penalty imposed by the provisions of Subsection A of this section shall not constitute any bar to the right of the Township to collect the cost of removal as provided in § 428-45.