Council approves assessments after weed-abatement hearing; staff reported rise in notice volume

The City Council closed the public hearing on the city’s annual weed-abatement list and approved staff’s recommendation to confirm abatement actions and assess administrative fees where properties were abated by the city.

Acting Deputy Fire Marshal Eddie Sanchez told the council that in calendar year 2024 Fire Prevention Services issued 756 notices — a 61% increase from the prior year — and that 376 properties were voluntarily abated while 69 required agency (city) abatement. Staff scheduled 24 properties for hearing; one was removed prior to the hearing because the owner paid. Of the 23 properties considered, 14 were vacant lots, one was a boarded vacant home, six were occupied homes and two were commercial properties. Staff also reported that 17 of the 23 are owned by entities or individuals outside the city and 10 of the properties were repeat offenders who had been abated more than once.

A single speaker at the hearing urged the council to consider whether bare ground after abatement might cause dust issues; staff clarified the program’s fire-safety purpose and explained extensions and outreach available to owners. Council members discussed options for addressing repeat offenders and asked staff to explore a repeat-offender penalty or fee. The council voted to accept the staff recommendation to confirm abatement and assess administrative fees for the properties on the roll.