Dear Property Owner,
Your property is located in the designated Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Hazardous Fire Area which requires defensible space to be maintained around all structures on your property.
Defensible space is the buffer created when combustible vegetation is removed or reduced around a structure to slow or stop the spread of wildfire. On February 14, 2025, Santa Clara County Fire Department mailed to you a letter regarding the enforced applicable wildland fire safety regulations and this year’s property inspection schedule mandating compliance of the enforced applicable wildland fire safety regulations before June 1, 2025.
Your property was recently re-inspected by the Santa Clara County Fire Department on <<Re-Inspection date>> . At that time, your property was found to be non-compliant with the applicable wildland fire safety regulations. The noted violation details are listed below:
<<Violations>>
<<Inspector comments>>
On May 20, 2025, the Cupertino City Council passed a resolution declaring that hazardous vegetation (brush) growing in such locations as to become a fire menace or which are otherwise noxious or dangerous may be declared a public nuisance which must be abated by the removal of said hazardous vegetation. For further particulars, please refer to said resolution.
We are informed by the City of Cupertino that the Cupertino City Council will hold a public hearing at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 17, 2025 @ 6:45 pm . For more information on this process, please contact the Cupertino City Clerk’s Office at 408.777.3223 or visit https://www.cupertino.gov/Your-City/Departments/City-Clerk.
At that time, all properties identified by the Fire Department as being non-compliant with the applicable wildland fire safety regulations will be declared to have hazardous conditions requiring abatement. An additional inspection of all identified properties will be conducted after the hearing and prior to ordering any abatement work. <<Date>>
<<Owner Name>>
<<Owner Address>>
<<Owner City>>, <<Owner State>> <<Owner ZIP Code>>
RE: <<Property Address>> / APN: <<APN>>
If you do not bring your property into compliance, the City of Cupertino through its contractor, may perform any brush or weed removal at your expense and will be placed on your property tax bill for payment after legal requirements are met. If you would like more information about the hazardous vegetation abatement contractor services, please contact the County of Santa Clara Weed Abatement Program at 408.282.3145 or visit https://weedabatement. sccgov.org. For your convenience, a price list indicating the rates for the County Contractor is enclosed.
If you have questions about this notice, please contact the Fire Prevention Division of the Santa Clara County Fire Department at 408.341.4420 or email [email protected].
Fire Prevention Division
SANTA CLARA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT
408.341.4420
CITY OF CUPERTINO
2025 COUNTY CONTRACTOR WEED ABATEMENT FEES
Properties in the Weed Abatement Program, you will be responsible for an annual inspection fee of $105.00 per parcel.
Please be advised that the property owner of any parcel found to be non-compliant on or after the April 1st deadline will be charged a processing fee of $597.00 and the property will be scheduled for abatement by the County contractor. If you complete the abatement work before the County contractor performs the abatement, you will not incur further charges. Should the abatement work be performed by a County contractor, you will be assessed the contractor’s charges plus a County administrative fee of $961.00 per parcel. For those parcels requiring a warrant a fee of $1,323.00 per parcel will be assessed.
A) Disc Work**
Discing First Pass 0-12,500 sq. ft. $ Per Lot $291.00 - $425.00 Discing First Pass 12,501 - 1 Acre $ Per Lot $338.00 - $425.00 Discing First Pass 1+ Acre $ Per Acre $152.00 - $309.00 Discing Second Pass 0-12,500 sq. ft. $ Per Lot $180.00
Discing Second Pass 12,501 - 1 Acre $ Per Lot $225.00
Discing Second Pass 1+ Acre $ Per Acre $130.00 - $151.00 **It is required that parcels be disced twice a year. The cost for the first discing is higher due to additional work normally required during the first discing.
B) HANDWORK $5.09 - $5.73 per 100 sq. ft.
C) FLAIL MOWING 6 Foot Mower $10.97 PER 1,000 SF
12 Foot Mower $10.97 PER 1,000 SF
D) LOADER WORK $185.00 PER HOUR
E) DUMP TRUCK $185.00 PER HOUR
F) BRUSH WORK $4.84 - $5.47 PER 100 SF
G) DEBRIS REMOVAL $TBD
H) DUMP FEE 100% (Added to orders with debris removal at 100% of the dump site charge)
Please note this program does not offer herbicide application as a method of abatement.