§ 39-92. Maintenance of landscaped areas and best management practices.

(a)

Required property maintenance of landscape areas.

(1)

Property owners, including, but not limited to, owners of single family residences, multifamily dwellings, commercial sites, and industrial sites, are responsible for ensuring that landscaping that has been required to be planted pursuant to this article, or installed in compliance with the landscape requirements previously in effect, be maintained in a healthy condition. If landscaping is found to be in a state of decline, dead, or missing, it shall be replaced with native vegetation plant species that will be at least equivalent in size at maturity. If any preserved vegetation, which is being used to satisfy current landscape requirements of this article, dies, such vegetation shall be replaced with the same landscape material, if available, or comparable vegetation that complies with this article.

(2)

Turf should be mowed frequently enough so that no more than one-third (1/3) of the blade height is removed per mowing.

(3)

All mulch should be renewed periodically and maintained in accordance with the landscape plan standards in Section 39-79 of this article. Plastic sheeting and other impervious materials shall not be used under mulched areas.

(4)

Preserved and created ecological communities shall be maintained in a natural state. Only clearing by hand is permissible, unless otherwise authorized by the EPGMD.

(b)

Best Management Practices (by owner).

(1)

All persons providing landscape maintenance services, commercial fertilizer applicator services, and institutional fertilizer applicator services within the County's unincorporated areas or on County properties, including County maintenance operations staff providing such services, shall:

a.

Attend training in the Best Management Practices described in the most recent edition of the Florida-Friendly Best Management Practices for Protection of Water Resources by the Green Industries (Florida Department of Environmental Protection); and

b.

Have at least one (1) person holding a current certificate of completion for training as set forth in a. above present at all times on any job site while fertilizer application is in progress.

(2)

In no case shall grass clippings, vegetative material, or vegetative debris be washed, swept, or blown off into stormwater drains, ditches, conveyances, water bodies, wetlands, sidewalks, or roadways, either intentionally or accidentally.

(3)

Yard waste shall not be disposed of or stored by shorelines, ditches, swales, or the vicinity of storm drains. Yard waste and compost sites must be hidden from street view, maintained to prevent odor, and be free of weeds.

(4)

Turf clippings should be left on the lawn to replace nutrients. Shredded yard clippings and leaves should be used for mulch or be composted for use as fertilizer. However, diseased material should not be mulched and should be properly disposed of to avoid spreading disease.

(5)

Composting of yard waste provides many benefits and is strongly encouraged. Other recycled solid waste products are also available and should be used, when appropriate.

(6)

Irrigation shall be maintained at its highest efficiency, as designed, and eliminate all free flow possibilities should any breaks occur in the main, lateral, or other piping within the system. In the event of such occurrence, the break(s) shall be repaired immediately.

(Ord. No. 2017-15 , § 13, 5-23-17)