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Harris Township tightens weed-and-grass rules, lowers maximum jail term in draft kept
Summary
The board adopted Ordinance No. 366, updating chapter 5 article 1 on grass and weed control. Changes include a proposed maximum height reduction (12" to 8"), a reduced maximum jail term (90 to 10 days), and enforcement procedures based on warnings and district justice citations.
Harris Township's Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance No. 366 on June 10, revising the township's weed and grass regulations (chapter 5, article 1). The update is the first substantive revision in about 46 years, staff said.
Key changes in the draft included adding definitions; creating a section titled 'unlawful growth of noxious vegetation'; clarifying exceptions and who is responsible for property maintenance; adding managed alternate planting areas (meadows, rain gardens, pollinator plantings); and recommending a reduction of the maximum grass height from 12 inches to 8 inches. Staff originally suggested lowering the maximum monetary fine from $1,000 to $250 but, after solicitor discussion, recommended keeping the current fine amount. Staff also proposed reducing the maximum jail term in the ordinance from 90 days to 10 days, citing input from the local district justice.
Enforcement will follow a complaint- or inspection-based process: staff will document violations with measurements and photographs, send a notice that allows a period (typically about five days, adjusted for weather) to come into compliance, and then proceed to file a nontraffic citation with the district justice if the property remains out of compliance. For repeat offenders, staff said a single annual notice at the beginning of the growing season that states it is the sole notification for the year may be used.
The board asked questions about frequency of complaints and application to agricultural/forested exemptions; staff said active agricultural operations and forested land are exempt. Supervisors voted to adopt Ordinance No. 366 by voice vote.
