[Ord. No. 186 §1(70.030
(1,7,8,10,13,15—19), 8-12-1991]
A. The
following are declared to be nuisances affecting health:
1. All decayed or unwholesome food offered for sale to the public, or
offered to the public at no charge.
2. All diseased animals running at large.
3. All ponds or pools of stagnant water.
4. Carcasses of dead animals not buried or destroyed within twenty-four
(24) hours after death.
5. Accumulations, wheresoever they may occur, of manure, rubbish, garbage,
refuse, and human and industrial, noxious or offensive waste, except
the normal storage on a farm of manure for agricultural purposes.
6. Privy vaults or garbage cans which are not fly-tight, that is, privy
vaults or garbage cans which do not prevent the entry of flies, insects
and rodents.
7. The pollution of any well, cistern, spring, underground water, stream,
lake, canal or body of water by sewage or industrial wastes, or other
substances harmful to human beings.
8. Dense smoke, noxious fumes, gas and soot, or cinders in unreasonable
quantities, or the presence of any gas, vapor, fume, smoke, dust or
any other toxic substance on, in or emitted from the equipment of
any premises in quantities sufficient to be toxic, harmful or injurious
to the health of any employee or to any premises, occupant or to any
other person.
9. Common drinking cups, roller towels, combs, brushes or eating utensils
in public or semi-public places where not properly sanitized after
use.
10. Any vehicle used for septic tank cleaning which does not meet the
requirements of this Chapter of the Code of Ordinances of the City
of Diamond.
11. Any vehicle used for garbage or rubbish disposal which is not equipped
with a watertight metal body and provided with a tight metal cover
or covers and so constructed as to prevent any of the contents from
leaking, spilling, falling or blowing out of such vehicle at any time,
except while being loaded, or not completely secured and covered so
as to prevent offensive odors from escaping therefrom or exposing
any part of the contents at any time.
12. Any and all infestations of flies, fleas, roaches, lice, ticks, rats,
mice, fly maggots, mosquito larvae and hookworm larvae.
13. The keeping of animals and fowls in any area within the City not
zoned for agricultural uses except pet cats and dogs, animals in public
or licensed zoos, and farm animals in laboratories.
14. Unlicensed dumps and licensed dumps not operated or maintained in
compliance with the ordinances of the City of Diamond and the Statutes
of the State of Missouri.
15. No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged into a stormwater
system any waste, materials, liquids, vapor, fat, gasoline, benzene,
naphtha, oil or petroleum product, mud, straw, lawn clippings, tree
limbs or branches, metal or plastic objects, rags, garbage or any
other substance which is capable of causing an obstruction to the
flow of the storm system or interfere with the proper operation of
the system, or which will pollute the natural creeks or waterways.
16. All other acts, practices, conduct, business, occupation, callings,
trades, uses of property and all other things detrimental or certain
to be detrimental to the health of the inhabitants of the City of
Diamond.
17. Any stable, stall, shed or compartment, or any yard or appurtenance
thereto, in which any horse, cattle, cows, swine, dogs, rabbits or
any other animals, chickens or any other fowl shall be kept, or any
place in which manure or liquid discharges of such animal shall collect
or accumulate, and which stable, stall, shed or compartment, or any
yard or appurtenance thereto, is not kept in a cleanly or wholesome
condition so that no offensive smell shall be allowed to escape therefrom.
Nothing in this Article shall be so construed as to include manure
deposits upon any private property for the purpose of cultivating
the same.
18. Any water leakage, seepage or moisture in any cellar, basement or
part hereof of any house or building occasioned by leakage from defective
hydrants, water pipes, sewer pipes, cisterns, wells, gutters, drains,
rain spouts, or seepage from the surrounding earth.
19. Any open, uncovered or unprotected well or cistern on any premises.
20. The erection, continuance or use of any building, room or other place
in the City for the exercise of any trade, employment or nature which
occasioned noxious exhalations, offensive odors, discomfort, offensive
or detrimental to the health of the individuals or of the public.
21. Depositing or draining sewage and waste water from dwelling houses
or other buildings upon any lot or tract or public street or alley.
22. Allowing or permitting sewage or waste water from any cesspool, septic
tank or the laterals or sewage lines therefrom to rise, seep or pass
to the surface of the land adjacent thereto.
B. Unlawful To Cause, Maintain Within City Or One-Half Mile Thereof. It is unlawful for any owner, lessee or occupant or any agent, servant,
representative or employee of any such owner, lessee or occupant having
control of any occupied lot or land or any part thereof in the City
of Diamond, or within one-half (½) mile of the corporate limits
of the City of Diamond, Missouri, to cause, permit or maintain a nuisance
on any such lot or land. Additionally, it is unlawful for any person
or his/her agent, servant, representative or employee to cause or
maintain a nuisance on the land or property of another, with or without
permission.
Each day that a nuisance shall be maintained is a separate offense.
C. Authority To Abate Emergency Cases. In cases where it reasonably
appears that there is an immediate danger to the health, safety or
welfare of the public due to the existence of a nuisance, the Mayor
or his/her designate shall have the authority to order the Chief of
Police or Health Officer or other City Official to immediately abate
the nuisance in an appropriate manner.
D. Abatement—Procedure Generally. Whenever the Board
of Aldermen receives notification that a nuisance may exist, it shall
proceed as follows, except as may be otherwise provided herein:
1. It shall investigate the same. The Board may order
any person who has caused or is maintaining the nuisance to appear
before the Board at such time and place as the Board may direct to
show cause, if any, why that person should not abate the nuisance.
Every person required to appear before the Board shall have at least
ten (10) days' notice thereof.
2. Such notice shall be signed by the Health Officer or Chief of Police
and shall be served upon that person by delivering a copy thereof
to the person, or by leaving a copy at his/her residence with some
member of the family or household over fifteen (15) years of age,
or upon any corporation by delivering the copy thereof to the President
or to any other officer at any business office of the corporation
within the City. If the notice cannot be given for the reason that
the person named in the notice or his/her agent cannot be found in
the City, of which fact the return upon such notice of the officer
serving the same shall be conclusive evidence, such notice shall be
published in a daily newspaper for three (3) consecutive days, if
a daily, or once if a weekly paper, giving at least ten (10) days'
notice from the final publication date of the time fixed for the parties
to appear before the Board.
3. If after hearing all the evidence the Board of Aldermen may determine
that a nuisance exists, it may direct the Health Officer or Chief
of Police or other City Official to order the person to abate the
nuisance within twenty (20) days or within such other time as the
Board may deem reasonable. Such order shall be served in the manner
provided in this Section for service of the order to show cause. The
order may further provide that the appropriate City Official be directed
to abate the nuisance if the order is not obeyed within the time period
set by the Board, and that a special tax bill be issued for the costs
of abating the nuisance.
4. If the order has not been obeyed within the time period set by the
Board, the appropriate City Official shall proceed to abate the nuisance
in the manner provided by the order of the Board, and the cost of
same, if ordered by the Board, may be assessed as a special tax against
the property so improved or upon which such work was done; and, if
so ordered, the City Clerk shall cause a special tax bill therefor
against the owner thereof when known, and if not known then against
the unknown persons, and the certified bills of such assessment shall
describe therein the property upon which the work was done.
5. The bills for the above work shall be recorded and shall be collected
and paid as provided for the collection of other special tax bills
for the repairing of sidewalks or grading or paving of streets and
shall be a lien on the property.
6. The cost of abating nuisances on private property shall be levied
and assessed on each lot in proportion to the amount of work done
and material used in abating the nuisance located on each such lot.
[Ord. No. 186 §1(70.100), 8-12-1991]
The owner of any premises, or his/her agent in charge thereof,
as well as the tenant or occupants of such premises are hereby charged
with the duty of observing all of the requirements and provisions
of this Chapter with reference to nuisances, and any or all of such
persons, together with the person causing or contributing to cause
or bring about any nuisance, may be charged with the violation thereof
and shall be equally liable.
[Ord. No. 186 §1(70.120), 8-12-1991]
Nothing in this Chapter shall be construed as abandoning or
limiting the City's right to bring suit for all expenses attending
the abatement of nuisance, when performed by the City, in any court
of competent jurisdiction in the name of the City against the person
maintaining, keeping, creating or refusing to abate the nuisance so
abated.
Any person in physical possession and control of any animal
shall remove excreta or other solid waste deposited by the animal
in any public or private area not designated to receive such wastes
including, but not limited to, streets, sidewalks, parking lots, public
parks or recreation areas and private property. The provisions of
this Section shall not apply to a guide dog accompanying any blind
person.