Family Service Rochester provides lawn mowing and yard services for persons who are sixty+ years and for adults with disabilities.

Persons registered with the service have lawns mowed generally every 7 - 10 days depending on growth.

The service is provided by either local volunteers or vendors.

The fee for service is based upon income.

To register for lawn service contact Family Service Rochester at 507-287-2010.

The registration process requires a home visit by an FSR staff person. During the home visit staff explain the service and gathers information necessary to register including income verification to establish the appropriate fee.

Once registration is complete, FSR matches consumers with a volunteer or vendor as appropriate. Consumers are billed monthly for lawn service during that month.

The service must be renewed annually.

Family Services Lawn Service for Older Adults and People with Disabilities

Enforcement is complaint-driven.  Forestry receives complaints and sends an inspector to see if the complaint is valid as per COR 8-5. Complaints can be submitted calling the Forestry Department main office (507-328-2515) or by email.

For information on rules, regulations, and a step-by-step flow chart, see our Tall Grass and Weeds Guide.

Forestry Division Employees have been given authority to write Administrative Citations to enforce the existing Tall Grass and Noxious Weeds ordinance.

The property was determined to have either the presence of noxious weeds on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Eradicate List, or tall grass measuring 12’’ in height or greater. City dispatched Tall Grass and Weeds removal contractors are required to take before and after photos of the property found in violation.  The photos document the conditions and can be provided as requested.  Please call 507-328-2515 to request photos.

Administrative Citations increase per violation if more than one is received in a 1 calendar year period:

Administrative Fine Costs
Zoning	1st Citation	2nd	3rd or more
Residential & Commercial	$60	$90	$120

 

 

 

 

 

The contractor service costs are in response to an inspector validated complaint.  Tall Grass and Weeds removal costs are dependent upon the time spent mitigating the violation and type of equipment used.

An administrative charge of $25.00 shall be due upon mailing of the notice of proposed assessment.

The first page of the bill is for the administrative citation written by the Tall Grass and Weeds Inspector.  The amount depends on the number of violations in 1 year period.

The second bill is for the contractor's services to remove the tall grass and weeds.  The City hires the contractors and directs them to mow tall grass and herbaceous vegetation and/or abate noxious weeds after a validated inspection by City staff. The property owner is billed for contractor services at a later date after the bill for contractor services is received by the City.

We are required to provide citation recipients an opportunity to appeal the citation within 10 days and therefore we mail the citation out as soon as possible after they are written. 

Administrative Fine Enforcement Citizen’s Handbook

To view assessments online or make a payment from your savings or checking account visit our website www.rochestermn.gov/assessments.  Properties can be looked up either by street address or by 12 digit parcel identification number.

Payments can be made in the Office of the City Clerk, 201 Fourth Street SE, Room 135, Rochester, Minnesota 55904, in person or by mail. Please bring or return this notice with your remittance. For information on payments, contact Rochester's 311 team at 507-328-2311.

When considering filing a complaint please consider the following;

• Review the ordinance-is this a violation? Turf grasses must be over 12" in height in an area greater then 200 square feet. Other vegetation is permitted. MDA noxious weeds must be eradicated. 
• Determine if you are adversely affected by what you see, and if it is a violation. 
• Consider how you can help the person become in compliance rather than file a complaint.  There are many unfortunate situations that can create a violation.  Being a good neighbor can can go a long way. 
• Please limit complaints to one location per complaint.