ORDINANCE 443
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 367 OF THE NORWICH, KANSAS MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO THE CUTTING OF WEEDS AND VEGETATION WITHIN THE CITY OF NORWICH
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF NORWICH, KINGMAN COUNTY, KANSAS:
SECTION 1: Section 2 of Ordinance 367 of the Norwich Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
“Section 2. DEFINITIONS
(A) “Calendar Year” as used herein, means that period of time beginning January 1st and ending December 31st, of the same year;
(B) “Weeds” as used herein, means any of the following:
1. Brush and woody vines
2. Weeds and indigenous grasses which may attain such large growth as to become, when dry, a fire menace to adjacent property;
3. Weeds which bear or may bear seeds of a downy or wingy nature;
4. Weeds which are located in an area which harbors rats, insects, animals, reptiles, or any other creature which may or does constitute a menace to health, public safety or welfare;
5. Weeds or indigenous grasses on or about residential or business property, which because of its height, has a blighting influence on the neighborhood. Any such weeds or indigenous grasses shall be presumed to be blighting if they exceed eight (8) inches in height.
i. Weeds as defined in Section 2(B)(5) does not include and this article will not be enforced with respect to weeds if located in an area zoned as residential and the property owner has secured a haying permit. Said permit applications are to be made available upon request from the city clerk and must be submitted to the city clerk by May 1 of each calendar year. Approved permits will be issued on an annual bases and shall declare that the land sought to be hayed will be exempt from the requirements of this Article for the permit term. Any area exempted by an approved hay permit shall be hayed by September 1 of each calendar year. The city council shall have the authority to review and approve or deny permit applications. The decision to approve or deny a permit application may include consideration of, but is not limited to, the following factors: the size of the residential property, the proximity of the residential property to surrounding residential or business properties, and the location of the residential property within the city limits.
SECTION 2: That ordinance 439 of the Norwich Municipal Code, and all other ordinances, or portions thereof, in conflict herewith, are hereby repealed.
SECTION 3: This ordinance shall be published once in the official city newspaper and shall take effect on September 11, 2025.
PASSED AND APROVED BY THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF NORWICH, KINGMAN COUNTY, KANSAS, THIS 2ND DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2025.
SEAL
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Mayor, Mitchell J. Hewitt
ATTEST:
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City Clerk, Carol Poe
