A. 
Upon determination by the officer that a nuisance exists, the officer shall cause to be made a "notification of nuisance" which shall contain a description of the nuisance.
B. 
The police department shall officially notify the owner or person in charge of the property of the nuisance violation and a 20-day period to abate the nuisance.
C. 
Upon determination by the officer that the nuisance continues to exist, the officer shall cause a notice to be posted on the premises or at the site of the nuisance, directing any person responsible to abate the nuisance.
D. 
At the time of posting, the officer shall cause a copy of the notice to be forwarded by certified mail, postage prepaid, to the person responsible at his/her last known address.
E. 
The notice to abate shall contain:
1. 
A description of the real property, by street address or otherwise, on which the nuisance exists.
2. 
A direction to abate the nuisance within 15 days.
3. 
A description of the nuisance.
4. 
A statement that, unless the nuisance is removed, the city may abate the nuisance and the cost of the abatement will be charged to the person responsible.
5. 
A statement that failure to abate a nuisance may warrant imposition of a fine.
6. 
A statement that the person responsible may protest the order to abate by giving notice to the city recorder within 10 days from the date of the notice.
F. 
If the person responsible is not the owner, an additional notice shall be sent to the owner, stating that the cost of abatement not paid by the person responsible shall be assessed to and become a lien on the property.
G. 
Upon completion of the posting and mailing, the persons posting and mailing shall execute and file certificates stating the hour, the date and the place of the mailing and posting, respectively.
H. 
An error in the name or address of the person responsible shall not make the notice void, and in such case the posted notice shall be sufficient.
(Ord. 1052 § 21, 2010)
A. 
Within 15 days after the posting and mailing of the notice as provided in RMC § 8.15.220, the person responsible shall remove the nuisance or show that no nuisance exists.
B. 
A person responsible protesting that no nuisance exists shall file with the city recorder a written statement which shall specify the basis for so protesting.
C. 
The statement shall be referred to the city council as a part of its regular agenda at its next succeeding meeting. At the time set for consideration of the abatement, the person protesting may appear and be heard by the council and the council shall determine whether or not a nuisance in fact exists. The determination shall be entered in the official minutes of the council. Council determination shall be required only in those cases where a written statement has been filed as provided.
D. 
If the council determines that a nuisance does, in fact, exist, the person responsible shall, within 10 days after the council determination, abate the nuisance.
(Ord. 1052 § 22, 2010)
If more than one person is responsible, they shall be jointly and severally liable for abating the nuisance or for the costs incurred by the city in abating the nuisance.
(Ord. 1052 § 23, 2010)
A. 
If, within the time allowed, the nuisance has not been abated by the person responsible, the city recorder or his/her designee may cause the nuisance to be abated.
B. 
The city shall have the right at reasonable times to enter into or upon property to investigate or cause the removal of a nuisance.
C. 
The city recorder or his/her designee shall keep an accurate record of the expense incurred by the city in physically abating the nuisance and shall include therein a charge of $35.00 or 25 percent of those expenses, whichever is greater, for administrative overhead.
(Ord. 1052 § 24, 2010)
A. 
The city recorder or his/her designee, by certified mail, postage prepaid, shall forward to the person responsible, if the owner, a notice stating:
1. 
The total cost of abatement, including the administrative overhead.
2. 
That the cost as indicated will be assessed to and become a lien against the property unless paid within 30 days from the date of the notice.
3. 
That if the person responsible objects to the cost of the abatement as indicated, he/she may file a notice of objection with the city recorder within 10 days from the date of the notice.
B. 
Upon the expiration of 10 days after the date of the notice, the council, in the regular course of business, shall hear and determine the objections to the costs assessed.
C. 
If the costs of the abatement are not paid within 30 days from the date of the notice, an assessment of the costs, as stated or as determined by the council, shall be made and shall thereupon be entered in the docket of city liens together with a late fee of $25.00. Upon such entries being made, it shall constitute a lien upon the property from which the nuisance was removed or abated.
D. 
The lien shall be enforced in the same manner as liens for street improvements are enforced and shall bear interest at the then prevailing legal rate per annum. The interest shall commence to run from the date of the entry of the lien in the lien docket.
E. 
An error in the name of the person responsible shall not void the assessment, nor shall a failure to receive the notice of the proposed assessment render the assessment void, but it shall remain a valid lien against the property.
(Ord. 1052 § 25, 2010)
The procedure provided in RMC § 8.15.220 through § 8.15.260 is not exclusive, but is in addition to procedure provided by other code sections. The officer, the chief of police, or any other city official may proceed summarily to abate a health or other nuisance which unmistakably exists or which imminently endangers human life or property.
(Ord. 1052 § 26, 2010)