[CC 1984 §17-20; Ord. No. 3028 §1, 11-15-1971; Ord. No. 3140 §17-11]
As used in this Article, the following terms shall have these
prescribed meanings:
Any individual, firm, partnership or corporation which acts
for the owner in the collection of rents, the making of repairs, the
commencement or termination of tenancies, or as janitor or other person
in charge of any building, premises or vacant lot.
Any structure whether public or private that is adapted or
intended for occupancy for dwelling purposes, for the transaction
of business, for the rendering of professional service, for amusement,
for the display, sale or storage of goods, wares or merchandise, or
for the performance of work or labor, including hotels, rooming houses,
office buildings, public buildings, stores, theaters, markets, restaurants,
grain elevators, abattoirs, warehouses, workshops, factories and all
other houses, sheds, barns and other structures.
The person who has the use of, controls or occupies any building
or any portion thereof, whether owner or tenant. In the case of a
vacant building or any vacant portion of a building, or in the case
of a building having five (5) or more families with common rights
to a cellar or basement, the owner or agent shall have the responsibilities
of an occupant of a building.
Any person who alone, jointly or severally with others shall
be in actual possession, have charge, care or control of any building
or premises or vacant lot within the City as owner, whether individual,
firm, partnership or corporation or as trustee or guardian of the
estate or person of the title holder, and shall include the owner
of record as reflected by the St. Louis County Recorder's office.
Any condition which may provide shelter or protection for
rats, thus favoring their multiplication or existence.
A form of rat-proofing to prevent the ingress of rats into
buildings from the exterior or from one (1) building to another. It
consists essentially of the closing of all openings in the exterior
walls, ground or first (1st) floors, basements, roofs and foundations
which may be reached by rats from the ground by reaching, climbing,
jumping or burrowing with material or equipment impervious to rat-gnawing
and in accordance with specifications promulgated by the Health Commissioner.
[CC 1984 §17-21; Ord. No. 3028 §1, 11-15-1971; Ord. No. 3140 §17-12]
All buildings and structures shall be rat-stopped, freed of
rats and maintained in a rat-stopped and rat-free condition.
[CC 1984 §17-22; Ord. No. 3028 §1, 11-15-1971; Ord. No. 3140 §17-13]
The Health Officer shall enforce this Article.
[CC 1984 §17-23; Ord. No. 3028 §1, 11-15-1971; Ord. No. 3140 §17-14]
A.
The Health
Officer shall make such inspections of the interior and exterior of
any building, structure or of any premises or vacant lot as in his/her
opinion may be necessary to determine full compliance with this Article.
The Health Officer shall make periodic inspections at intervals of
not more than six (6) months of all rat-stopped business buildings,
apartment houses and tenement houses to determine evidence of rat
infestation and the existence of new breaks or leaks in the rat-stopping.
B.
When
any evidence is found indicating the presence of rats or openings
through which rats may again enter such buildings, the Health Department
shall serve the owner, occupant or agent with written notice to abate
the conditions found.
[CC 1984 §17-24; Ord. No. 3028 §1, 11-15-1971; Ord. No. 3140 §17-15]
No owner, agent or occupant shall permit or allow any building
to be infested with rats or permit or allow any condition to exist
in or around such building or on any premises on any vacant lot which
may be conducive to rat infestation.
[CC 1984 §17-30; Ord. No. 3028 §1, 11-15-1971; Ord. No. 3140 §17-16]
Upon the receipt of written notice from the City, the owner
or agent of any building specified therein shall take immediate measures
for the rat-stoppage of such building and for the elimination of rat
harborages within such buildings and on the premises. Unless the work
has been completed in the time specified in the written notice or
any written extension thereof that may be granted by the Health Department,
the owner or agent shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
[CC 1984 §17-31; Ord. No. 3028 §1, 11-15-1971; Ord. No. 3140 §17-17]
The owner or agent of any rat-stopped building shall maintain
it in a rat-stopped condition and repair all breaks or leaks that
may occur in the rat-stoppage.
[CC 1984 §17-32; Ord. No. 3028 §1, 11-15-1971; Ord. No. 3140 §17-18]
No person shall remove the rat-stoppage from any building for
any purpose and fail to restore the rat-stoppage in a satisfactory
condition or fail to rat-stop new openings that are not closed or
sealed against the entrance of rats.
[CC 1984 §17-33; Ord. No. 3028 §1, 11-15-1971; Ord. No. 3140 §17-19]
Whenever conditions inside or under any building provide such
extensive harborage for rats that the City deems it necessary to eliminate
such harborage, it may require the owner or agent to install concrete
floors, or to replace wooden first (1st) or ground floors, or require
the owner, agent or occupant to correct such other interior rat harborage
as may be necessary to facilitate the eradication of rats within a
specified reasonable time.
[CC 1984 §17-34; Ord. No. 3028 §1, 11-15-1971; Ord. No. 3140 §17-20]
A.
Whenever
the Health Department notifies in writing the occupants of any building
that there is evidence of rat infestation of the building, such occupants
shall take immediate and effective measures for freeing the premises
so occupied of all rats.
B.
Any occupant
who fails to take effective measures for freeing his/her portion of
the building or premises of rats after receiving the notice described
in this Section shall, upon conviction, be punished as provided in
this Code.
[CC 1984 §17-40; Ord. No. 3028 §1, 11-15-1971; Ord. No. 3140 §17-21; Ord. No. 4235 §9, 9-6-1988]
A.
Unless
effective measures for freeing the building of rats are instituted
by the occupants within the time specified by the City, and unless
continually maintained in a satisfactory manner until the building
is free of rats, the City may eradicate rats in such building, or
after receiving competitive bids, enter into a contract with any person,
firm or corporation for eradication of rats in such building.
B.
The City
shall submit bills for the costs thereof to the occupant or occupants
of the building. If the same costs are not paid, the costs shall be
certified to the City Manager. The City Attorney shall take such action
as may be necessary to collect the costs.
[CC 1984 §17-41; Ord. No. 3028 §1, 11-15-1971; Ord. No. 3140 §17-22]
The occupants of a building shall maintain the building and
premises in a rat-free condition.
[CC 1984 §17-42; Ord. No. 3028 §1, 11-15-1971; Ord. No. 3140 §17-23]
A.
Whenever
the City notifies, in writing, the owner, agent or occupant of any
premises that there is evidence of rat infestation on the outside
of a building or on the premises or on a vacant lot, such owner, agent
or occupant shall take immediate and effective measures for the elimination
of rats from such premises or vacant lot.
B.
No owner,
agent or occupant shall fail to take effective measures for the elimination
of rat infestation on the premises or vacant lot after receiving the
notice described in this Section.
[CC 1984 §17-43; Ord. No. 3028 §1, 11-15-1971; Ord. No. 3140 §17-24]
No person shall dump or place on any premises, land or waterway
any dead animals or any waste, vegetable or animal matter of any kind.
[CC 1984 §17-44; Ord. No. 3028 §1, 11-15-1971; Ord. No. 3140 §17-25]
No person shall place, leave, dump or permit to accumulate any
garbage or rubbish in any building or premises, or on any vacant lot,
so that the garbage may afford food or harborage for rats.
[CC 1984 §17-50; Ord. No. 3028 §1, 11-15-1971; Ord. No. 3140 §17-26]
No person shall permit the accumulation on any premises or on
any open lot of any lumber, boxes, barrels, bricks, stones or similar
materials that may be permitted to remain thereon and which may afford
harborage for rats, unless the materials are evenly piled or stacked
either on open racks that are elevated not less than twelve (12) inches
above the ground or on a paved surface impervious to rats.
[CC 1984 §17-51; Ord. No. 3028 §1, 11-15-1971; Ord. No. 3140 §17-27]
All food and feed kept within the City for feeding animals shall
be kept and stored in rat-free and rat-proof containers, compartments
or rooms, unless kept in a rat-stopped building.
[CC 1984 §17-52; Ord. No. 3028 §1, 11-15-1971; Ord. No. 3140 §17-28]
Any person found guilty of violating any provision of this Article shall be subject to the penalty set forth in Section 100.150 of this Code.
