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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1989-82 - Amendments to Chapter 14 of the Municipal CodeBILL NO, ;"'`/~-~.-ti _ ORDINANCE N0, y!-~,~ AN ORDINANCE REPEALING CIIAPT'ER 14 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CI`CY OF RIVERSIDE AND ENACTING A NEW CHAPTER 14 IN I,IEIJ ~PHEREOF, PROHIBI`PING 'P HE MAINTENANCE OF NUISANCES WITHIN THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE, PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR THE VIOLATIOCd THEREOF, AND ESTABLISHING THE PROCEDUKE FOR THE ABA`! EMENi' OF NUISANCES BY THE CITY. BE I'P ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN OF THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1: Chapter 14 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Riverside is hereby repealed, and the following Chapter 14 is enacted in lieu thereof: "CHAPTER 14 NUISANCES 14.1 Declaration of Purpose. The Board of Aldermen of the City of Riverside, Missouri hereby declares it to he the purpose of this ordinance and the policy of the City to protect the health, safety, welfare, prosperity and peace of the citizens of Riverside and to prevent the r_'epreciation of property within the City of Riverside by prohibiting nuisances. 14.2 Definitions. For the purposes of this ordinance the following terms, phrases, words and their derivations shall have the meaning given herein. When not inconsistent with the context, all references to the singular shall inr_lude the plural and vice versa. The word "shall" is always mandatory and not merely precatory. a. Person means any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation, company or organization of any kind . b. Authorized Private Receptacle means a litter storage and collection receptacle as required and authorized by Chapter 10.0, Section 2 of_ the Code of Ordinance of the City of Riverside, Missouri. c. City means the City of Riverside, Missouri. 14.3 Nuisances Prohibited. Section l: No person shall permit, cause, keep, maintain or commit any nuisance as defined by the laws of the State of ~~7issouri or the ordinances of the City within the Ci ty limits of the City of Riverside, Missouri. Section 2: No owner, occupant or person in r_harge of any house, building, lot or premises within the City of Riverside shall cause or allow any nuisance to be or remain in or upon any such house, building, lot or premise. ,Section 3: The creation or maintenance of any condition which is in fact a nuisance is declared unlawful and subject to abatement and shall not be affected by the fact that it is not specifically enumerated in this chapter. 14.4 llefinition of Nuisance. The following acts or conditions are hereby declared to be nuisances, dangerous to the public safety and are hereby prohibited: Section 1: LITTER. The accumulation of vegetable or animal waste, litter, garbage, filth or refuse or any rags, dameged merchandise, wet, broken or leaking barrels, casks or boxes or any materials which are offensive, or which tend to decay, or become putrid or unwholesome; Section 2: ODORS AND DUST. The emission or creation of offensive, disagreeable, noxious or toxic dust, vapor, fume, mist, or odor; Section 3: FOOL 4~ATER. The accumulation upon or discharge onto any street, sidewalk, lot, park, public square, public enclosure, or any pond or pool of water of any liquid refuse, including sloe, foul or dirty water or other liquid; Section 4: ,JUNK VEHICLES. The unsheltered storage of old, used, stripped or junked personal property of_ any kind (except in licensed junk yards), including lumber, building materials, junk, trash or other debris, abandoned, discarded or unused objects or equipment of any kind whatsoever, including household app.iiances, vehicle parts or tires, scrap metal, toys, furniture, or barrels; Section 5: WEEDS. Permitting weeds or grass to attain the height of eighteen (18) inches or more, and permitting the accumulation of dead brush, branches or other plants. The word "weeds" as used herein shall include all vegetable growths except cultivated plants, trees and shrubs; Ser_tion 6: SEPTIC TANK. Maintaining or permitting any unclean, stinking, foul, defective or filthy drain, ditch, septic tank or gutter or any leaking, broken, garbage box or receptacle of like character; Section 7: STAGNANT WATER. Maintaining or permitting the existence of any pond or pool of unwholesome, impure or putrid water or any pond or pool of stagnant rain water which is or may become offensive; Section 8: ANIMAL CARCASS. Permitting any animal carcass to remain exposed six ( 6) hours after death, or permitting any part of the carcass of any animal, including the hide to remain exposed six (6) hours after death; Section 9: RATS AND INSECTS. Permitting or maintaining any condition conducive to the hari~orage of rats, insects and other vermin. 14.5 Above Ground P9otor Fuel Storage. Section 1: No above ground motor fuel storage tanks shall be permitted except: (a) above ground tanks where the owner can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the zoning enforcement person that it is solely for agricultural uses (b) the storage of ten gallons or less of flammable or combustible liquids so long as such liquids are stored in a r_ontainer sealed by means of a lid or other device so that neither liquid nor vapor will escape from it at or.di_nary temperatures (c) the storage of combustible class 3b liquids only in the industrial zone and after the applicant has received a special use permit in acr_ordanr_e with the zoning code of the city (d) propane tanks "Motor fuel" includes, but is not limited to, gasoline and diesel fuel. Section 2: Any other above ground storage tanks of motor fuel now existing shall be considered a non-conforming use and the maintenance of the existing storage facilities shall not be deemed a violation of this section. Section 3: No existing above ground storage of motor fuel shall be added to or replaced except as provided by the zoning order. 14.6 Abandoned, Wrecked or Inoperable Motor Vehicles. Section l: All abandoned, wrecked or inoperable motor vehicles as defined by this ordinance or vehicles in a state of substantial disrepair which remain on public or private property within the City for a period of more than five (5) days if on private property or more than twenty-four (24) hours if on a public street or roadway are hereby declared to be nuisances. Provided, however, if said vehicle is stored wholly within a building and not visible from tl~e outside, then this vehicle shall not be deemed a nuisance. Storage of the vehir_le in a garage where the outside door is open for more than twenty four (24) hours shall not be deemed to be a vehicle inside a building. Section 2: Abandoned vehicles shall mean any vehicle which is left at any place and under such circumstances as to cause such vehicle reasonably to appear to have been abandoned. Section 3: Inoperable motor vehicles shall mean any vehicle from which the engine, wheels or other parts have been damaged or otherwise segregated, so that the vehicle is incapable of being driven under its own motor power. Section 4: A wrecked vehicle shall mean a vehicle that is so damaged that is incapable of_ being operated. Section 5: Inoperable and wrecked motor vehicle shall not include a motor vehicle which is kept within a building when not in use, or to any vehicle which is continuously kept inside a building. Section 6: Vehicles, as used in this chapter, shall mean any vehicle designed to travel along or over the ground by use of wheels, treads, runners or slides and is used to transport persons or property and shall include without limitation, automobiles, trucks, motor vehicles, tractors, or any wart or portion thereof. 14.7 Deposit of Litter on Property. No person shall throw or deposit or dump any litter on any p roperty wi thin the City, whether owned by such person or not, except that the person in possession or control of the premises may maintain authorized private receptacles for collection of litter in such a manner that the litter will be securely contained within the receptacle until such time that it is collected. 14.8 Hazardous Trees. A live or dead tree which constitutes a hazard to the safety of persons or of property, private or public, is hereby declared to be a nuisance. Authorized representatives of the City may enter at all reasonable times upon any privately owned property for purposes of inspection and investigation of any tree which may be in a hazardous condition. 14.9 Stables, Sheds, Buildings, Etc. Section 1: All stables, sheds or compartments in which a horse, cow or other animal shall be kept in such manner or in any place in which the refuse of such animal shall collect or accumulate or that any offensive smell shall be allowed to escape from is hereby declared to be a nuisance and dangerous to the public safety and prohibited; provided, nothing in this section shall be so construed as to include manure deposits on any private property for the purpose of_ enriching the soil thereon. 14.10 Malfunctioning Private Sewage Disposal Systems. All malfunctioning private sewage disposal systems whir_h allow polluted, raw or partially treated waste water or effluent to be deposited or stand upon any premises shall be deemed a nuisance. When any private sewage disposal system has been determined to be malfunctioning, the owner of the said premises will be ordered to make connection to the public sewer if available. 14.11 Interfering with the Gutter, Sewer or Natural Drainage. N o person shall interfere with or obstruct, without legal authority, any gutter, conduit, sewer or other outlet for water or natural drainage upon any public or private property. 14.12 Water Pollution. No person shall corrupt or render unwholesome or impure the water of any spring, river, stream, pond or lake. 14.13 Painting Signs on Property Without Consent of the Property Owner. It is hereby declared a nuisance for any person to advertise wares or ocr_upations by painting notices on or affixing notices to fences or other private property or on rocks or other natural objects without the consent of the owner or, if in the streets of the City of Riverside, Missouri, without the permission of the Board of Aldermen. Garage sale and election signs shall not be demed to be a nuisance if they are removed within twenty four (24) hours after the completion of the garage sale and within ten (10) days after election. 14.14 Unnecessary Noise. Section L• No person shall make, continue, cause, or permit to be made or continued any noise disturbance. The [ollowing are der_lared to be noise disturbances in violation of this section, but this enumeration is not exclusive: a. Barking dogs or other noisy animals which disturb the comfort and repose of any person in the vicinity. b. Use of sound producing or reproducing equipment between the hours of 10 p. m. and 7 a. m. that is plainly audible within a dwelling unit that is not the source of the sound, or use of such equipment on public property or on a public right of way so as to be plainly audible 50 feet or more from the source of the sound. The Board of Aldermen may grant an exemption from this subsection to allow a person reasonable use of public property or the right of way to broadcast music or_ speech. 14.15 Prohibiting Trash Containers Upon or within Twenty (20) Feet of_ Right of Way. It shall be unlawful for any person, partnership or corporation to maintain upon the public right-of-way or upon any land situated within twenty (20) feet of any public street or public highway any trash cans, garbage cans, garbage bags, or refuse disposal receptacles for more than twenty-four (24) hours within the City of Riverside, Missouri. 14.16 Requiring Restoration or Removal of Buildings Damaged or Destroyed by Fire, Tornado or Other Cause. Section 1: If any building, sign, mobile home or other structure lor_ated within the City limits of the City of Riverside, Missouri should be severely damaged or destroyed through fire, tornado or other cause, or has become so dilapidated as to be untenable or unusable, the person, firm or corporation owning that buildi-n g, sign, mobile home or other structure shall be required to either begin restoration of the building, sign, mobile home or other structure or to remove the building, sign, mobile home or other structure and all debris from the premises within thirty (30) days of the occurrence of the damage or destruction. Any basements that may be exposed by virtue of removing any building shall be filled to ground level within ten (10) days of such exposure. Section 2: Any building, sign, mobile home, or other structure which is not restored or removed pursuant to this section, or any basement which remains exposed after the removal of any structure, shall be deemed a nuisance and hazardous to the health, safety and welfare of the general public. 14.17 Authorized City Officials May Enter Premises. The Director of Public Safety, the City Attorney or duly authorized representatives of either are hereby authorized to enter and inspect all buildings and parts of buildings and other premises, in the daytime, for the purpose of examining the sanitary condition, provided such City official has first obtained an administrative search warrant from the P9unicipal Judge or, in the alternative, has obtained the consent of the owner or occupant of the premises. If on such inspection, any nuisance or unsanitary condition be found, then the official may follow the provisions set forth by this chapter for abatement of the nuisance. 14.18 Abatement of Nuisance by City, Procedure. Section 1: The Director of Public Safety, or the Director's duly authorized representatives, is hereby empowered to abate or remove either by draining, filling, purifying, removing, burning or discontinuing any nuisance from any cause whatsoever. Provided however, the abatement by the City of any nuisance defined in Section 14.17 of this Chapter shall be governed by the procedure set forth in Section 67.410 RS~9o. 1986, as that Section may be amended. For purposes of this Section, the Director of Public Safety shall be deemed to be the building commissioner of the City of Riverside. Section 2: Before proceeding to abate or remove any nuisance, the Director of Public Safety shall notify the owner, tenant, lessee or occupant, or his agent, employee or manager having charge of, doing business in or occupying any house or building of any kind, or any vacant lot, yard or p uce of ground in or on which any nuisance exists. In the event the nuisance exists in the public street or alley, the Director of Public Safety shall notify the person responsible for the existence and condition of the nuisance. The Director's notice shall be in writing, and shall state the facts constituting the nuisance and order the person responsible for the premises to abate, remove or discontinue the nuisance. The notice shall be served in t_he same manner as writs of summons are served in civil cases. If the owner or tenant, lessee, agent, employee manager or other person named in the notice cannot be found in the City, then the Director of Public Safety shall cause such notice to be mailed by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, to such owner, tenant, lessee, or occupant at that pe rson's last known address. In the event no address is known for such person, then the notice shall be posted conspicuously upon the premises. Section 3: Ten (10) days after servir_e of such notice, whether by personal service, mailing or posting of such notice, the Director of Public Safety shall give a hearing to the owner or owners, or his or their agents. If the nuisance set forth in the notice shall not be abated, discontinued or removed by the date of the hearing, the Director of Public Safety or other designated City official may declare the condition to be a nuisance and order the same to be abated within five (5) days. If the nuisance is not abated within five (5) days, the Director of Public Safety or other designated City official may proceed to abate and remove such nuisance. Section 4: The Director of Publir_ Safety shall keep an accurate record of the cost of_ abating, discontinuing or removing any nuisance herein defined. The Director shall report the cost thereof to the Board of Aldermen. The Board of Aldermen shall then proceed to levy and assess the costs as a special tax against each lot or parcel of_ land from which the nuisance is abated, discontinued or_ removed and shall direct the City's Clerk to issue a special tax bill therefor against such tract or parcel of real estate, to be collected by the City Collector or any duly authorized deputy. Such special tax bill shall be a special lien against such property in the same manner and with the same effect as special tax bills are for_ paving and shall be payable within thirty (30) days after the date thereof, and if not so paid, shall bear interest at the rate of eight percent (80) per annum until paid. It shall he the duty of the City Clerk to keep all records as certified to him by the Di rector of Public Safety, to prepa.r.e all books and ar_counts showing in detail the expenditures of the abatement, removal or discontinuance of any nuisance which may be properly assessed against each lot or parcel of land. Section 5: The assessment of any special tax bill issued pursuant to this ordinance or the filing of any suit to collect such special tax bill shall not render any person immune from prosecution for creating or maintaining a nuisance. 14.19 Penalty_ Any person who violates any ser_tion of this chapter shall, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not less than One Dollar ($1.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment in the appropriate jail for a term not exceeding ninety (90) days, or by both fine and imprisonment. Each day a violation of this chapter continues shall be deemed a separate violation for purposes of this section. 14.20 Right to Appeal_ Any person affected by an Order of_ the Director of Public Safety issued pursuant to this chapter may seek review of the Order before the F3oard of Aldermen. Request for review of the Order_ must be filed with the City Clerk within ten (10) days of service of the Notice and Order of the Director of Public Safety. 14.21 Right to Petition for Injunction. In addition to the remedies set .forth in this chapter, the City may petition the Circuit Court of Platte County to enjoin any nuisanr_e or threat to the public health, safety or welfare. The remedies set forth herein are cumulative and not exclusive, and the City may seek any legal or equitable remedy at its disposal, regardless of whether it has exhausted any other remedy available to it under this chapter. 14.22 Severability. This ordinance shall he deemed to be in addition to and not in lieu of any other ordinance or code in effect at the time of the adoption of this ordinance. Should any section, sentence or clause of this ordinance be declared invalid or unconstitutional, such declaration shall not affect the validity of the remaining sections." SECTION 2: The City Clerk is hereby directed to make the appropriate changes in the River~si/de City Code. T ,~/~ DAY OF /~''Z~_. ~.~C-. , 19~ PASSED THIS ~ 1 '~ ~' , _ ~~r ~tc~ ~ ~ ~ .F: __ MAYOR A~1~TEST: Ci'~ ~" - CI'PY CL ERE - APPROVED THIS x ~~;>_d `_ DAY OF !,~ }?;_.`:%It,f'ix'~ : , 19 ~' `/' . ;! _ ~~,r_c `~ L` ~i MAY R