(Atlantic) The Atlantic City Council will consider the first reading of three ordinances on Wednesday.
Ordinance No. 1065, which would amend Section 58.02 of the City Code governing the mowing of properties.
The proposal is the first of three planned ordinance changes related to code enforcement and nuisance abatement fees. The City currently has separate sections of its code addressing property mowing, junk and garbage removal, and snow and ice removal. Ordinance 1065 focuses specifically on mowing violations.
According to City officials, the proposed changes were developed by Code Enforcement and Animal Control Manager Kris Erickson to simplify administration, create greater consistency between the City’s nuisance abatement programs, and better reflect the City’s labor, equipment, and administrative costs.
City officials emphasize that nuisance abatement assessments are intended to recover the City’s actual costs of addressing violations rather than generate revenue or serve as a penalty. Under Iowa law, nuisance abatement charges are limited to cost recovery, while municipal infractions are intended to function as penalties. The proposed fee schedule is designed so that the costs of abatement are borne by the property that creates the nuisance rather than by taxpayers in general.
Under the proposed ordinance, the administrative fee would increase from $100 to $125. Hourly labor for City employees would decrease from $110 to $75 per hour. Equipment charges would also be standardized, with hourly rates for vans or trucks, trailers, riding mowers, push mowers, and string trimmers each set at $15 per hour.
Charges for certified mail, postage, and miscellaneous materials would continue to be billed at actual cost, while paper document fees would remain unchanged at 10 cents per page.
| Description | Current Fee | Proposed Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative Fee | $100.00 | $125.00 |
| City Employee | $110.00/hr | $75.00/hr |
| Van/Truck | $75.00/hr | $15.00/hr |
| Trailer | $60.00/hr | $15.00/hr |
| Riding Mower | $50.00/hr | $15.00/hr |
| Push Mower | $30.00/hr | $15.00/hr |
| String Trimmer | $30.00/hr | $15.00/hr |
| Certified Mail | Actual Cost | Actual Cost |
| Postage | Actual Cost | Actual Cost |
| Miscellaneous Materials | Actual Cost | Actual Cost |
| Paper Documents | $0.10/page | $0.10/page |
The Council previously adopted Ordinances 1022, 1023, and 1024, which amended the same sections of the City Code during its Oct. 5, 2022, meeting.
Before reaching the City Council, the proposed ordinance was reviewed by the Personnel & Finance Committee during its June 23, 2026, meeting. The committee unanimously endorsed the proposed changes.
Ordinance No. 1065 will receive its first reading before the Atlantic City Council as the first step in the ordinance adoption process.
