Blue Hill, NE Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)
Key Facts
- Declared nuisance
- growth of weeds or noxious growth, item 19
- Covers
- lots plus adjoining streets and alleys
- Hearing request window
- 5 days after notice
- Hearing must be set
- within 15 days of request
- Penal fine
- up to $500 per offense, per day
- Jurisdiction
- reaches one mile beyond city limits
Summary
Blue Hill declares a lot, or the streets and alleys next to it, a public nuisance once weeds or noxious growth take hold. The rule is item 19 on the city's 20-item nuisance list at § 3-401(C), and the appointed nuisance officer can order cleanup through the same notice-and-hearing process used for junk, dead animals, and other nuisances.
19. Lots, pieces of ground, and the adjoining streets and alleys with growth ... of weeds or noxious growth;
Full Breakdown
Weeds fall under the broad nuisance definition in § 3-401(B): any condition that injures health or safety, offends decency, or interferes with others' comfortable use of property. Enforcement starts when the City Council directs the nuisance officer, appointed by resolution under § 3-402, to confirm the weed growth with photographs and the property's legal description before presenting it to the Council. Once the Council declares the nuisance, § 3-403 sets the clock: the owner or occupant has five days after notice to request a City Council hearing, the city clerk must set that hearing within 15 days of the request, and the Council's findings are due within 14 days of the hearing, with any abatement extension capped at 60 days.
If nobody requests a hearing and the weeds aren't cleared within 15 days of notice, the nuisance officer can issue a citation for prosecution as a misdemeanor. 00 administrative fee under § 3-404, converting an unpaid bill into a special assessment against the property. This nuisance chapter's reach isn't limited to the corporate limits either: § 3-415 extends it to all territory within one mile of the city.
Violations & Fines
An owner who lets weeds or noxious growth persist after notice can be prosecuted for a misdemeanor and fined up to $500.00 per offense under § 3-403(B), with each day the growth continues counted as a separate offense. The city may also mow or clear the lot itself and bill the owner the actual abatement cost plus a $25.00 administrative fee under § 3-404, with an unpaid bill converted into a special assessment on the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which section of Blue Hill's code covers overgrown weeds?
How much notice do I get before the city acts on weeds?
What can the city do if I don't clear the weeds?
Does the weed rule apply outside the city limits?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Blue Hill
How Blue Hill compares: Cities with the Strictest Weed and Property Maintenance Rules·Compare Blue Hill to another location·View the Nebraska landscaping rules overview
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