10.70.020 Definitions.
A. "Cost of abatement" or "cost of abating a nuisance" as used in this chapter means any and all costs incurred by the Petaluma fire department or Petaluma code enforcement division to enforce this chapter including, but not limited to, investigation, inspections; preparation, service and/or publication of administrative notices and other related clerical costs; actual removal of hazardous vegetation and/or rubbish whether performed by the fire department or their contractor.
B. "Fire chief" as used in this chapter means the chief of the Petaluma fire department or their designee.
C. "Hazardous vegetation" as used in this chapter means all weeds growing upon streets, alleys, sidewalks, or private property in the city and includes any of the following:
1. Weeds which bear or may bear seeds of a downy or wingy nature;
2. Weeds and indigenous grasses, like sagebrush and chaparral, which may attain such large growth as to become, when dry, a fire menace to adjacent improved property;
3. Weeds which are otherwise noxious or dangerous;
4. Poison oak and poison ivy when the conditions of growth are such as to constitute a menace to the public health;
5. Dry grass, stubble, brush, litter, or other flammable material which endangers the public safety by creating a fire hazard.
6. Hazardous vegetation described in this chapter for abatement does not apply to maintained vegetation in compliance with defensible space requirements, protected riparian zones regulated by other agencies, or other like vegetation.
D. "Rubbish," as used in this chapter, means all combustible waste or refuse matter which has been left, deposited or abandoned on any lot or parcel of land in the city, and also means noncombustible waste matter, refuse, dirt and worthless or useless articles of property left, deposited or abandoned on any lot or parcel of land in the city in such fashion or in such quantity as to be unsightly, unhealthful, dangerous to persons, or so as to interfere with the abatement of hazardous vegetation under this chapter.
E. "Street" includes public street, alley, lane, court or other place.
(Ord. 2878 NCS §3, 2024.)