[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Ledgeview 4-22-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-011. Amendments noted where applicable.]
Chapter 823 of the Wisconsin Statutes is hereby incorporated into this section as if fully set forth herein.
[Added 7-5-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-006[1]]
No person shall erect, contrive, cause, continue, maintain or permit to exist any public nuisance within the Town or within the police jurisdiction of the Town.
A. 
Public nuisance. A public nuisance is a thing, act, occupation, condition or use of property which shall continue for such length of time as to:
(1) 
Substantially annoy, injure or endanger the comfort, health, repose or safety of the public.
(2) 
In any way render the public insecure in life or in the use of property.
(3) 
Greatly offend the public morals or decency.
(4) 
Unlawfully and substantially interfere with, obstruct or tend to obstruct or render dangerous for passage any street, alley, highway, navigable body of water or other public way.
B. 
Public nuisances affecting health. The following acts, omissions, places, conditions and things are public nuisances, but such enumeration shall not be construed to exclude other health nuisances that may be considered public nuisances under Subsection A:
(1) 
All decayed, harmfully adulterated or unwholesome food or drink sold or offered for sale to the public.
(2) 
Carcasses of animals, birds or fowl not buried or otherwise disposed of in a sanitary manner within 24 hours after death.
(3) 
Accumulations of decayed animal or vegetable matter, trash, rubbish, rotting lumber, bedding, packing material, scrap metal or any material in which flies, mosquitoes, disease-carrying insects, rats or other vermin may breed.
(4) 
All stagnant water in which mosquitoes, flies or other insects can multiply.
(5) 
Garbage containers which are not flytight.
(6) 
The escape of smoke, soot, cinders, noxious acids, fumes, gases, fly ash or industrial dust in such quantities as to endanger the health of persons of ordinary sensibilities or to threaten or cause substantial injury to property.
(7) 
The pollution of the Fox River or of any public well or cistern, stream, lake, canal or body of water by sewage, creamery or industrial wastes, refuse, garbage or other substances.
(8) 
Any use of property, substances or things within the Town, or within four miles of the Town, emitting or causing any foul, offensive, noisome, nauseous, noxious or disagreeable odors, effluvia or stenches extremely repulsive to the physical senses of ordinary persons which annoy, discomfort, injure or inconvenience the health of any appreciable number of persons within the Town.
(9) 
All abandoned wells not securely covered or secured from public use.
(10) 
Any obstruction in or across any watercourse, drainage ditch or swale.
(11) 
The deposit of garbage, refuse or any offensive substance on any public or private property except as may be permitted by ordinance.
C. 
Public nuisances affecting peace and safety. The following acts, omissions, places, conditions and things are public nuisances, but such enumeration shall not be construed to exclude other nuisances affecting public peace or safety that may be considered public nuisances under Subsection A:
[Amended 2-15-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-002]
(1) 
All ice not removed from the public sidewalks and all snow not removed from public sidewalks within 24 hours after it has ceased to fall thereon.
(2) 
All signs and billboards, awnings and other similar structures over or near streets, sidewalks, public grounds or places frequented by the public so situated or constructed as to endanger the public safety.
(3) 
All buildings erected, repaired or altered within the fire limits of the Town in violation of the provisions of the ordinances of the Town, relating to materials and manner of construction of buildings and structures within such district.
(4) 
All unauthorized signs, signals, markings or devices which purport to be or may be mistaken as official traffic control devices placed or maintained upon or in view of any public highway or railway crossing.
(5) 
All trees, hedges, billboards or other obstructions which prevent persons driving upon public streets, alleys or highways from obtaining a clear view of traffic when approaching an intersection or pedestrian crosswalk.
(6) 
All limbs of trees which project over a public sidewalk less than 12 feet above the surface of the sidewalk or less than 14 feet above the surface of a public street.
(7) 
All use or display of fireworks except as provided by the laws of the state and ordinances of the Town.
(8) 
All buildings or structures so old, dilapidated or out of repair as to be dangerous, unsafe, unsanitary or otherwise unfit for human use.
(9) 
All wires over streets, alleys or public grounds which are strung less than 15 feet above the surface of the street or ground.
(10) 
No person shall park or leave standing for more than 15 minutes in any street in the Town a vehicle containing livestock, live fowl or other living animals.
(11) 
The keeping or harboring of any animal or fowl which, by frequent or habitual howling, yelping, barking, crowing or making of other noises, shall greatly annoy or disturb the peace and quiet of all persons in the vicinity.
(12) 
The obstructions of streets, alleys, sidewalks or crosswalks and all excavations in or under the same, except as permitted by the ordinances of the Town or which, although made in accordance with such ordinances, are kept or maintained for an unreasonable length of time after the purpose of such excavation has been accomplished.
(13) 
All open and unguarded pits, wells, excavations or unused basements freely accessible from any public street, alley or sidewalk.
(14) 
All abandoned refrigerators or iceboxes from which the doors and other covers have not been removed.
(15) 
Any unauthorized or unlawful use of property abutting on a public street, alley or sidewalk or of a public street, alley or sidewalk which causes large crowds of people to gather, obstructing traffic and free use of the streets or sidewalks.
(16) 
Any structure, material or condition which constitutes a fire hazard or will impair the extinguishing of any fire.
(17) 
All use or maintenance of building exteriors or surrounding premises which limits the use or enjoyment of neighboring property or which causes or tends to cause diminution of the value of the property of others in the neighborhood in which such premises is located by reason of:
(a) 
Exterior storage of junk, trash, or other debris, including, without limitation of enumeration, storage of objects or equipment such as motor vehicles, furniture, appliances, farm or manufacturing equipment, building materials, litter or rubbish as defined in the Town of Ledgeview Municipal Code.
(b) 
Premises must be maintained consistently with the Town of Ledgeview Municipal Code, Chapter 65, Minimum Housing and Property Maintenance Standards.
D. 
Public nuisances offending morals and decency. The following acts, omissions, places, conditions and things are public nuisances, but such enumeration shall not be construed to exclude other nuisances offending public morals and decency that may be considered a public nuisance under Subsection A:
(1) 
All disorderly houses, bawdy houses, houses of ill fame, gambling houses and buildings or structures kept or resorted to for the purpose of prostitution, promiscuous sexual intercourse or gambling and houses where illegal drugs or controlled items are regularly used, consumed, possessed or transferred as prohibited.
(2) 
All gambling devices and slot machines.
(3) 
All places where intoxicating liquor or fermented malt beverages are sold, possessed, stored, brewed, bottled, manufactured or rectified without a permit or license as provided by this Code.
(4) 
Any place or premises where Town ordinances or state laws relating to public health, safety, peace, morals or welfare are openly, continuously, repeatedly and intentionally violated.
E. 
Other violation nuisances. Repeated or continuous violations of any Town ordinance or state law shall be considered a public nuisance.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also provided for the redesignation of former §§ 68-2 and 68-3 as §§ 68-3 and 68-4, respectively.
[Amended 11-19-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-009; 8-4-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-017]
All noxious weeds, grass and vegetation shall be maintained and cut as follows:
A. 
Weeds, grass and vegetation on parcels in a platted subdivision or certified map shall be cut and maintained to a height of 12 inches or less in the following areas:
(1) 
The right-of-way on all lots and five feet behind the right-of-way line.
(2) 
In all vision corners.
(3) 
At all intersections.
(4) 
Within a ten-foot radius around all fire hydrants.
(5) 
Fifteen feet along the perimeter of the property adjoining to or abutting against another property.
B. 
Weeds, grass and vegetation on residential or commercial parcels shall be cut and maintained to a height of six inches or less in all front and side yards and in the following areas or circumstances:
(1) 
Up to 25 feet behind any or all structures on the lot.
(2) 
Whenever longer weeds, grass or vegetation is deemed a nuisance to the adjoining property.
(3) 
Wherever necessary to prevent the harboring of rodents or wild dangerous animals constituting a threat to public health and safety.
(4) 
In all rights-of-way or easements where functional access is required.
(5) 
Within a ten-foot radius of all fire hydrants.
C. 
When the Town receives a complaint on a vacant lot or residential or commercial property, a notice of violation shall be sent out granting the property owner three business days to correct such violation. If such violation is not corrected, the Town will authorize and conduct action to bring the property into compliance and bill the property owner for such efforts according to the fee schedule established under § 68-3D. If the invoice is not paid, the cost of such removal shall be charged against such property as a special charge pursuant to § 66.0627, Wis. Stats.
D. 
The following fee schedule shall apply to all authorized Town action conducted to bring said property into compliance with Subsections A and B of this section:
Time Spent by Town
(minutes)
Minimum Rate
30
$100
45
$125
60
$150
75
$175
90
$200
105
$225
120
$250
Each additional 15 minutes
Add $25
E. 
Penalty. In addition to the provisions set forth in this section, any person who habitually violates the provisions of this section shall be subject to the following penalty:
(1) 
Second violation: two times the amount invoiced to property owner.
(2) 
Third violation: three times the amount invoiced to property owner, and citation issued.
(3) 
Fourth violation: four times the amount invoiced to property owner, and citation issued.
[Added 6-22-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-007]
In addition to any other methods allowed by law, nuisances may be abated as provided herein.
A. 
Summary abatement. If any Town officer possessing the authority to enforce Town ordinances determines a public nuisance exists which is reasonably determined to constitute an imminent threat to public health, safety, peace, morals, or decency, a notice to abate the nuisance may be served pursuant to Subsection D, below. The notice shall order abatement of the nuisance within a period of not less than 24 hours nor greater than seven calendar days and shall state that if the nuisance is not abated, the Town shall cause the nuisance to be abated and shall charge the cost thereof to the owner, occupant, or person causing, maintaining, or permitting the nuisance. If the notice to abate has been served upon the owner of the property upon which the nuisance exists, in the event such charges are not paid within 30 days of mailing an invoice to the owner, occupant, or person causing, maintaining or permitting the nuisance, all costs of abatement shall be placed on the tax roll as a special charge pursuant to Wis. Stats. § 66.0627.
B. 
Non-summary abatement. If any Town officer possessing the authority to enforce Town ordinances determines a public nuisance exists but does not determine that the nuisance constitutes an imminent threat to public health, safety, peace, morals, or decency, a notice to abate the nuisance may be served pursuant to Subsection D, below. The notice shall order abatement of the nuisance within a period of not less than 15 calendar days nor more than 30 calendar days and shall state that if the nuisance is not abated, the Town shall cause the nuisance to be abated and shall charge the cost thereof to the owner, occupant, or person causing, maintaining, or permitting the nuisance. If the notice to abate has been served upon the owner of the property upon which the nuisance exists, in the event such charges are not paid within 30 days of mailing an invoice to the owner, occupant, or person causing, maintaining or permitting the nuisance, all costs of abatement shall be placed on the tax roll as a special charge pursuant to Wis. Stats. § 66.0627.
C. 
Abatement plan. If any Town officer possessing the authority to enforce Town ordinances determines a public nuisance exists but does not determine that the nuisance constitutes an imminent threat to public health, safety, peace, morals, or decency, an order may be issued to the owner, occupant, or person causing, maintaining, or permitting the nuisance to appear for a hearing before the Town Board to discuss abatement of the nuisance. Notice of the hearing shall be issued and served pursuant to Subsection D below. Prior to the hearing before the Town Board, the owner, occupant or person causing, maintain or permitting the nuisance may arrange for a meeting with the officer and any other appropriate Town officer or employee to discuss the abatement plan to be presented to the Town Board. The abatement plan shall indicate the measures to be taken by the owner, occupant, or person causing, maintaining, or permitting the nuisance to abate the nuisance and a timeline establishing when such measures shall be completed. Upon Town Board approval of the abatement plan, said plan shall constitute an order of the Town Board to comply with the plan.
D. 
Notice to abate. A notice to abate under this section shall be served by personal service unless, after reasonable efforts prove unsuccessful, the notice may be posted in a conspicuous place on the property where the nuisance exists and mailed by first-class mail to the last known address of the owner or agent of the owner. Personal service need not be attempted on an owner whose last known address is outside of Brown County, Wisconsin.
E. 
Appeal. Any person affected by an order under Subsection A or B may, prior to the date abatement is to be completed under the order, apply to the Circuit Court for an order restraining the Town from entering the property and abating or removing the nuisance or be forever barred.
F. 
Compliance with order. No person shall violate any order issued under this section unless a restraining order is granted pursuant to Subsection E.