The City of Lemoore has a history and reputation for well-kept properties. Property values and the general welfare of the community are founded, in part, upon the appearance and maintenance of private property. On May 21, 1996, the City Council enacted the City of Lemoore Property Maintenance Ordinance (Ord. 9606).
Owners and occupants of some properties within the city have permitted visual blight, including, but not limited to, deteriorated buildings, the accumulation of overgrown, rank and noxious vegetation and the accumulation of broken or discarded personal property in front yards. The existence of such conditions is injurious to the public health, safety and welfare of city residents and contributes to the deterioration of residential, commercial and industrial areas.
Abatement of these conditions is in the best interest of the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the city because maximum use and enjoyment of properties in close proximity to one another depends upon a minimum standard of sightliness. The beneficial effects of maintaining a minimum standard of sightliness for properties in the city include, but are not limited to, appreciation of property values, physical improvements of residential, commercial and industrial zones, attraction of capital investors to residential, commercial and industrial zones, increase in commercial trade and industrial productivity and increase in the tax base of the city.
The abatement of such conditions will improve the general welfare, health, safety, and image of the city. The abatement procedures set forth in the ordinance are reasonable, afford due process to all affected persons and reasonably relate to the proper exercise of police power to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public.
The city may collect any fee, cost, or charge incurred in the abatement of public nuisances. If the fee, cost, or charge has not been paid within forty five (45) days of the notice, the city may make the amount of the unpaid fee, cost, or charge a lien against the property.