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CITY OF PONTIAC Chapter 122 – Vegetation, Article III – Weeds of the City’s Municipal Code states: Tall grass and weeds greater than eight (8) inches in height or any accumulation of dead weeds, grass, or brush on any parcel within the City of Pontiac beginning May 1, 2026, are prohibited. The owner of any property is responsible for the abatement of any weeds or plant growth declared to be a public nuisance as set forth in Article III, Section 122-71. In the absence of a written agreement to the contrary between the owner and any other person, the owner shall be responsible for abatement under this Section. If any person having the duty, through connection with lands as set forth in this Article, to abate the nuisance set forth in Section 122-71 and fails or refuses to eliminate the nuisance after the notice procedures as contained in this article have been carried out, then the Director of the Department of Community Development or their designee shall cause the nuisance to be abated. All of the costs incurred in the abatement of the nuisance under this Article shall be the expense of the person responsible for the lands. The City department or division undertaking the abatement process under this Article shall keep records of all expenses related to the abatement with costs assigned to each parcel of land or lots or property description and the person responsible for such lands. Per Section 122-78 Penalties, the owner (as shown on the Assessor’s records) of private property is responsible for compliance. Each violation shall be a civil fine of up to $500.00, plus costs and all other remedies by statute. Violation of this Chapter shall be punishable by a civil fine of not less than $100.00 for the first offense, not less than $300.00 for the second offense, and not less than $500.00 for each additional or subsequent offense within a two-year period, plus costs and all other remedies available by statute. The maximum fine for any offense shall not exceed $500.00. Each day of violation shall be a separate violation. All costs in connection with cutting, removing, destroying, trimming, eliminating or abating violations of this Chapter shall be a lien upon the land where such nuisance shall have been caused by the City to be destroyed, cut, eliminated, removed, trimmed or abated, and all cost of such abatement remaining unpaid each year, pursuant to provisions contained in the Chapter of the City, shall be collected in the same manner that other special assessments are collected under the chapter. Garland S. Doyle, City Clerk Published in the Oakland Press: April 22, 2026