Orange County has an active Weed Abatement Program and issues an Annual Spring Weed Abatement Notice. The objective is to avoid noxious weeds and potential fire hazards. Approximately 2,000 notices were mailed each year to property owners where the program suspects there may be a weed problem. No inspection of the property is performed to establish this suspicion. FCA believes this is a procedural problem in that what constitutes excess weeds on a property is subjective. According to the County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office the notice satisfies due process requirements and gives the County the authority and right, after the annual notice daty, to enter the property without further notice to disc, spray, or remove plants and refuse, and bill the property owner via the property tax (cost plus administrative fees). This may be legal but seems improper because the home owner may not be aware of a weed problem because of the subjective evaluation, subsequent to the notice, by the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office. FCA agrees with the objective of the program but believes the implementation is faulty.

There will be an annual public hearing at the Board of Supervisors office each Spring where objections will be heard. The Supervisors Office is located at #10 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana. There is applicable state law for the program.