For the purposes of this article, the following terms, phrases
and words shall be defined as follows:
Any building which is accessory to the main building.
The individual, partnership or corporation that has the use
of or occupies any building, structure or vacant land.
The individual, partnership or corporation that is listed
on the last tax assessment records of the building, structure or vacant
land.
Any variety or species of rats.
The elimination of rats from a building, structure or vacant
land by any or all of the accepted measures, such as poisoning, fumigation,
trapping, clubbing, or similar means, so that there is no evidence
of rat infestation remaining.
Any condition which provides food, water, shelter or protection
for rodents, thus favoring their multiplication or continued existence
in, under or outside of a building, structure, yard, alleyway, or
vacant land.
It shall be unlawful for the owner or occupant to permit a condition
of rodent harborage to exist in any building or structure or on any
occupied or vacant land.
[Amended 8-15-2011 by Ord. No. 264]
All owners and/or occupants in the Village, in order to prevent
rodent harborage, shall comply with the following requirements:
A.
Stored material, such as firewood, coal, pipe, boxes, wood, building
materials, and similar materials, shall be neatly stored, shall be
piled no higher than four feet above ground level and shall not be
stored in any front yard or required side yard.
B.
All garbage and debris (not including properly composted material)
shall be stored inside unless kept in metal or ratproof containers
with tight-fitting lids and shall be placed at the curb no sooner
than on the day before collection.
C.
All lots, vacant or occupied, and all buildings and structures shall
be kept free of all litter, garbage and debris at all times.
D.
No person shall feed wild birds or animals with other than commercially
available bird food, including seed, suet and other commercially available
feed in a suitable container for the distribution of such bird seed.
In the event the Village, through one of its designated departments,
inspectors or employees, determines that the feeding of wild birds
or animals is a cause or contributing factor to rodent harborage,
the Village, through its Building Official, shall declare that the
lot from which feeding is occurring is a no-feeding zone for a period
of no less than 60 days and no more than 180 days.
The Village of Vicksburg, through one of its designated departments
or inspectors, has the option to and shall be authorized to inspect
every reported rodent-infested building, structure or vacant land
and to make a determination of whether there is rodent harborage or
infestation.
When any structure, building, yard, alleyway, or vacant land
is found to be in violation of this article, the owner and/or occupant
shall be notified in writing of such violation and corrective measures
that are to be taken to eliminate such violation and that said notice
shall be complied with within a specified period of time, being no
less than 10 days. Such notice is sufficient if sent by first class
mail, certified mail and posted in a conspicuous part of the building,
structure or vacant land.
A.
When any structure, building or vacant land is found to have unlawful
accumulations of any materials, debris or garbage which may constitute
a cause or a contributing factor of rat harborage, the owner and/or
occupant shall be notified to remove such accumulations from the property.
B.
When any structure, building or vacant land is found to be rat-infested,
the owner and/or occupant shall be notified to take immediate rodent
extermination measures and to continue same until all evidence of
rate infestation is eliminated.
A.
Upon failure of any owner and/or occupant to comply with the directives
of any notice issued by the Village of Vicksburg pursuant to this
chapter, the Village has the option to and shall be authorized to
take reasonable and appropriate measures that are necessary to remove
unlawful accumulations and to exterminate for rats, and the costs
thereof shall be collected in the manner hereinafter provided.
B.
The owner of such property shall be notified of the amount of such
costs as incurred by the Village of Vicksburg, by first-class mail,
certified mail and posting, at the address shown on the records. Upon
failure of the owner to pay same within 30 days after mailing of the
notice of the amount, the Village of Vicksburg shall add same to the
next Village tax roll, and it shall be collected in the same manner
as provided by law for the collection of taxes by the Village of Vicksburg.
