No person shall turn on, damage or otherwise tamper with any
part of the water system of the City without authority from the Watertown
Water Department, except temporarily at the meter for the purpose
of protecting plumbing or for the purpose of making repairs or improvements
to any plumbing system.
No person shall intentionally deface or otherwise damage any
property of another, public or private, without the consent of the
owner.
[Amended by Ord. No. 90-87]
No person shall tear up, deface or destroy any public building or part thereof, pavement, roadway, sidewalk, crosswalk, curb and gutter, water main, sewer, bridge, culvert, walkway or park facilities, or any part thereof, nor dig any hole, ditch or drain in any street, alley or public ground except under §
419-10 of this Code. The penalty for violation of this section shall be the imposition of a forfeiture of not less than $250 nor more than $500, plus all applicable court costs and assessments as required by law.
No person shall deposit in any sewer or drain any gas, oil,
grease, flammable or explosive material or any other substance which
by reason of its quantity, composition or nature is likely to obstruct
such sewer or drain, cause a nuisance or create a hazard in any portion
of the City sewer or water drainage systems.
No person shall hinder or obstruct the making or repairing of
any public pavement, roadway, sidewalk or crosswalk, water main, sewer,
bridge or culvert.
No person shall place or dump or cause to be placed or dumped
any rubbish, garbage, ashes, boxes, offal or any castoff material
of any kind upon the private property of another without consent of
the owner of the premises.
[Added by Ord. No. 97-45; amended by Ord. No.
07-19]
A. "Graffiti" is defined as the intentional marking, drawing, or writing with paint, ink or another substance on, or the intentional etching into, the physical property of another and is hereby specifically declared to be a public nuisance, as defined in §
390-2 of this Code.
B. Whoever places graffiti on the property of another, including private
property or public property, without the owner's consent, is guilty
of an offense under this section.
C. If more than one item of real or personal property is defaced by
graffiti, all the property may be prosecuted as a single offense.
D. In any case under this section involving more than one act of graffiti
but prosecuted as a single offense, it is sufficient to allege generally
that the graffiti was committed between certain dates. At the trial,
evidence may be given of any such unlawful marking, drawing, writing
or etching graffiti that was committed on or between the dates alleged.
E. Any person who shall place graffiti on the property of another, including
private property or public property, without the owner's consent shall
be liable for the costs of removing or covering such graffiti in addition
to any fines imposed for violating this section. The parents of any
unemancipated minor child who affixes graffiti may be held liable
for the cost of removing or covering said graffiti in accordance with
§ 895.035, Wis. Stats.
F. Every owner or occupant of a structure or property defaced by graffiti
shall notify the Police Department of the graffiti before removing
or covering such graffiti.
G. Duty to remove or cover. Every owner of a structure or property defaced by graffiti shall comply with the terms of a written notice served upon him by the Police Department to remove or cover such graffiti within 72 hours of such notice. Failure to remove or cover such graffiti as specified herein will subject the owner, occupant or person in charge of it to the forfeitures provided in §
1-4 of this Code.
H. Street Superintendent to cause removal. If the owner of a structure or property defaced by graffiti does not remove or cover such graffiti as specified herein and continues to refuse to remove or cover such graffiti after written notice has been served in accordance with Subsection
G above, then the Street Superintendent shall cause all graffiti to be removed or covered, in his discretion, immediately upon default of the owner. He shall annually render to the City Treasurer an itemized report of all sums disbursed by him for such removal or covering of graffiti, the description of the premises affected thereby and the names of the owners thereof, and the sum so disbursed shall annually be levied and collected as a special tax upon said premises unless paid.
[Amended 7-5-2022 by Ord. No. 22-63]