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Marietta City Council will consider six new ordinances proposed for passage by emergency measure, including a hike in penalties for weeds and litter violations on property, during tonight's meeting.
Proposed ordinances 304, 305 and 306 on tonight's agenda would replace existing Marietta ordinances 551.03, 551.04 and 551.05. that deal with weeds and litter.
Ordinance 306 in particular presents noticeable changes, raising the existing costs of weeds and litter violations in Section 551.05 of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Marietta. Proposed hikes include a $50 administration fee and a fine of $50 for the first offense; a $50 administration fee and a fine of $75 for the second offense, if committed within 24 months of the first offense; and a $50 administration fee and a fine of $125 for the third and subsequent offenses if committed within 24 months of the second or subsequent offenses.
The current fee section of 551.05 lists $25 as a first offense; $50 as a second offense if committed within 24 months of the first violation; and $100 for third and subsequent violations within the 24 month period.
As before, the fines are to be made payable to the City of Marietta and paid at the Mayor's office, 301 Putnam St. Each fine is to be paid within 10 days from the date the violation is charged.
If a fine isn't paid, it will be added to the costs the city incurs in correcting the violation, and the total will be billed to the property owner.
As before, if the fine and the city costs aren't paid, the County Auditor will be sent a written account of the total due. It will be entered upon the property's tax duplicate and be a lien upon the real estate, collected as other taxes are, and returned to the General Fund of the city.
The three proposed ordinances are presented as emergency measures, meaning they can pass after first reading if there are enough votes to suspend the second and third readings and then enough votes to pass the measures. The ordinances note that the emergency designation is needed to preserve public peace, health and safety, in addition to it being needed in order for the proper prosecution of violations.
Two other emergency measures to be considered by council involve renovation of the Marietta Police Department Dispatch Center; the direction of $300,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to be set aside for the project and authorization of contracts for the work.
A final emergency measure will authorize advertising for bids and entering contracts for the disposal of sanitary sewage sludge from the city's wastewater treatment plant into a sanitary landfill.
Ordinance 294 to replace the city's ordinance prohibiting use of electronic wireless communication devices while driving will receive its third and final reading. The replacement will be the new Ohio driving and texting law that went into effect April 4.
The city's old ordinance on texting and driving will not be repealed until Oct. 5, however. That's because patrol and local law enforcement will issue warnings for six months for violations, as part of the effort to help motorists adapt to the new law. Any violations in Marietta will fall under the city's old ordinance until the violations start being written under the new statewide law.
The new state law says it is illegal to use or hold a cell phone or electronic device in the hand, lap or other parts of the body while driving on Ohio roads. If an officer sees a violation, the driver can be pulled over.