[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Rice Lake as Title 8, Chapter 1 of the Code of Ordinances. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Animals — See Ch. 70.
Peace and good order — See Ch. 177.
Pollution — See Ch. 182.
Property maintenance — See Ch. 189.
Rental housing — See Ch. 200.
Solid waste — See Ch. 214.
[Amended 6-24-1997 by Ord. No. 844]
The Common Council may make reasonable and general rules for the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter and for the prevention of the creation of health nuisances and the protection of the public health and welfare and may, where appropriate, require the issuance of licenses and permits. All such regulations shall have the same effect as ordinances, and any person violating any of such regulations and any lawful order of the Council shall be subject to Chapter 1, General Provisions, § 1-20, General penalty.
[Amended 6-24-1997 by Ord. No. 844]
A. 
Abatement of human health hazards. The Inspection Department, together with the Common Council, may abate human health hazards in accordance with W.S.A. s. 254.59, which is adopted by reference and made a part of this chapter as if fully set forth herein.
B. 
Communicable diseases. Chapter 252 of the Wisconsin statutes and Chapter HSS 145 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code are adopted by reference and made a part of this chapter, and the Health Officer and the Common Council shall enforce the provisions thereof.
A. 
Sanitary requirements. All structures, pens, buildings, stables, coops or yards wherein animals or fowl are kept shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition, free of rodents, vermin and objectionable odors.
B. 
Animals excluded from food-handling establishments. No person shall take or permit to remain any dog, cat or other live animal on or upon any premises where food is sold, offered for sale or processed for consumption by the general public.
[1]
Editor's Note: See also Ch. 70, Animals.
No person shall deposit or cause to be deposited in any public street or on any public ground or on any private property not his own any refuse, garbage, litter, waste material or liquid or any other objectionable material or liquid. When any such material is placed on the person's own private property, it shall be properly enclosed and covered so as to prevent the same from becoming a public nuisance.
A. 
The Clerk-Treasurer shall annually, on or before May 15, publish as required by state law a notice that every person is required by law to destroy all noxious weeds on lands in the city which he owns, occupies or controls. A joint notice with other towns or municipalities may be utilized.
B. 
If the owner or occupant shall neglect to destroy any weeds as required by such notice, then the Weed Commissioner of the city shall give five days' written notice by mail to the owner or occupant of any lands upon which the weeds shall be growing to the effect that said Weed Commissioner, after the expiration of the five-day period, will proceed to destroy or cause to be destroyed all such weeds growing upon said lands and that the cost thereof will be assessed as a tax upon the lands upon which such weeds are located under the provisions of W.S.A. s. 66.96. In case the owner or occupant shall further neglect to comply with such five-day notice, then the Weed Commissioner shall destroy such weeds or cause them to be destroyed in the manner deemed to be the most economical method, and the expense thereof, including the cost of billing and other necessary administrative expenses, shall be charged against such lots and be collected as a special tax thereon.
C. 
Noxious weeds are those plants designated as noxious weeds in W.S.A. s. 66.96 and other rank growth as well as the following: ragweed, burdock, thistles, smartweed and dandelions (over 10 inches in height).
[Amended 7-10-2018 by Ord. No. 18-06]
D. 
The installation and/or maintenance of a lakeshore or stream-side filter strip, up to 30 feet in width, is excluded from the definition of noxious weed, rank vegetation or nuisance lawn herein, or In any other chapter of the Code of Ordinances.
[Added 6-8-2010 by Ord. No. 10-06]
[Amended 2-28-2012 by Ord. No. 12-01]
A. 
Purpose. This section is adopted due to the unique nature of the problems associated with lawns, grasses and noxious weeds being allowed to grow to excessive length in the City of Rice Lake.
B. 
Public nuisance declared. The Common Council finds that lawns on residential lots or parcels of land which exceed 10 inches in length adversely affect the public health and the safety of the public in that they tend to emit pollen and other discomforting bits of plants, constitute a fire hazard and a safety hazard in that debris can be hidden in the grass, interfere with the public convenience and adversely affect property values of other land within the City. For that reason, any lawn on a residential lot or other parcel of land which exceeds 10 inches in length is hereby declared to be a public nuisance.
C. 
Nuisances prohibited. No person, firm or corporation shall permit any public nuisance as defined in Subsection B above to remain on any premises owned or controlled by him within the City.
D. 
Inspection. The Weed Commissioner or his designee shall inspect or cause to be inspected all premises and places within the city to determine whether any public nuisance as defined in Subsection B above exists.
E. 
Abatement of nuisance. If the Weed Commissioner or his designee shall determine with reasonable certainty that any public nuisance as defined in Subsection B above does exist, he shall immediately post the property with a written notice placed in a conspicuous location fronting the street address of the property. He shall also issue to the owner a written notice, by regular mail, to the address listed on the most recent tax statement, advising the owner that he has seven days from the date of the notice to either abate the nuisance by mowing the lawn or grasses or request a hearing before the Street Committee to contest the classification of his property as a nuisance. If the owner fails to abate the nuisance within seven days as set forth in the notice, the Weed Commissioner will proceed to mow or cause to be mowed or cut all grasses and weeds growing upon the property, and the cost thereof shall be assessed as a tax upon the lands upon which the grasses are located under provisions in W.S.A. s. 66.96. Additionally, pursuant to § 1-23, a citation may be issued for violation of this section with the following penalties:
(1) 
First offense: $114.
(2) 
Second offense: $177.
(3) 
Third offense: $240.
F. 
Due process hearing.
(1) 
If the owner believes that his grasses or weeds are not a nuisance, he or she may request a hearing before the Street Committee of the City Council. The request for said hearing must be made in writing to the City Clerk-Treasurer's office within the seven days set forth in the Weed Commissioner's notice. Upon application for the hearing, the property owner must deposit a twenty-dollar bond. If a decision is rendered in the property owner's favor, the $20 will be returned to the property owner. If the property owner fails to appear for the hearing or if the decision is rendered against the property owner, the deposit shall be forfeited.
(2) 
When a hearing is requested by the owner of the property, a hearing by the Street Committee shall be held within 10 days from the date of the owner's request. The property in question will not be mowed by the City until such time as the hearing is held by the Committee. At the hearing, the owner may appear in person or by his attorney and may present witnesses in his own behalf and cross-examine witnesses presented by the City as well as subpoena witnesses for his own case. At the close of the hearing, the Street Committee shall make its determination, in writing, specifying its findings, facts and conclusions. If the Committee determines that a public nuisance does exist, the Committee shall order the Weed Commissioner to mow the property in question, unless the property has been mowed by the owner within 48 hours of the Street Committee's decision. If the owner does not abate the nuisance within the described 48 hours, the Weed Commissioner shall cause the same nuisance to be abated and cost assessed accordingly.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Orignal Sec. 8-1-8, Regulation of nuisance-type businesses, as amended 6-24-1997 by Ord. No. 844, which immediately followed this subsection, was deleted 1-25-2000 by Ord. No. 00-3. See now Ch. 177, § 177-39.
A. 
Connection required. To assure preservation of public health, comfort and safety, the owner or agent of the owner of any building used for human habitation and located adjacent to a sewer or water main, or in a block through which one or both of such systems extend, shall connect therewith after notice as provided herein.
B. 
Notice. When a sewer or water main becomes available to any building used for human habitation, the city shall notify, in writing, the owner or his agent to connect the building thereto and to install such facilities as may be reasonably necessary. The manner of connection shall be prescribed by the notifying officer.
[Amended 1-25-2000 by Ord. No. 00-3]
C. 
Service of notice. The notice required in this section shall be given in the manner prescribed by W.S.A. s. 801.11 or by registered mail addressed to the last known address of the owner or his agent.
[Amended 1-25-2000 by Ord. No. 00-3]
D. 
Connection by city. If the owner or his agent fails to comply after 30 days' notice as herein provided, the notifying officer may cause connection to be made and the expense thereof assessed as a special assessment tax against the property.
E. 
Annual installments. The owner or his agent may, within 30 days after the completion of the work, file a written option with the City Clerk-Treasurer stating that he cannot pay the cost of connection in one sum and electing that the sum be levied in 10 equal annual installments, with interest at 2% above the current rate of interest paid by the city at the time of original assessment.
[Amended 9-12-1994 by Ord. No. 785]
F. 
Privies, etc., prohibited. After connection of any building used for human habitation to a sewer main, no privy, cesspool or waterless toilet shall be used in connection with such human habitation.
G. 
Installation of water mains and water service laterals.
(1) 
No person shall install any water main or water service laterals which connect to the existing municipal mains without the approval of the Superintendent of the Water Department both as to the size of the main or lateral, materials to be used and location of the main and the lateral, and all such mains and laterals shall also conform to the State of Wisconsin Code regarding such mains and laterals.
(2) 
Any sewer and water main extensions which are to be installed in the city right-of-way to serve any property shall not be approved unless the owners of the property to be served shall sign an agreement with the city that these mains shall become the property of the city with full right of control both as to installation and repair and any assessments thereon.
[Amended 7-23-2010 by Ord. No. 10-10]
The statutory provisions describing and defining regulations with respect to indoor smoking contained in § 101.123, as amended, of the Wisconsin Statutes, known as the Clean Indoor Air Act, exclusive of any provisions therein relating to the penalties to be imposed or the punishment for violation of such statutes, are hereby adopted and by reference made a part of this section as if fully set forth herein. Any act required to be performed or prohibited by Wis. Stats. § 101.123 and incorporated herein by reference is required or prohibited by this section. The penalty for violation of Wis. Stats. § 101.123(2), relating to an individual smoking in a prohibited area, shall be a forfeiture of $25 for the first violation and $50 for each violation thereafter. The penalty for violation of Wis. Stats. § 101.123(2m), relating to responsibility of persons in charge allowing smoking in violation of law, shall be a forfeiture of $50 for the first violation and $100 for each violation thereafter.
A. 
Permit required. No person shall slaughter any animal used for the consumption of meat, to be used for commercial purposes, within the city without first obtaining an annual permit therefor granted by the Council, upon making proper application for such permit, which shall be in writing addressed to the Council and filed with the City Clerk-Treasurer and describe the property on which such slaughtering shall take place and be signed by the owner of said property or his agent or lessee. The applicant shall pay, upon making such application, a fee as set forth in the fee schedule adopted as part of the annual budget document, which shall be used for investigating, and which fee shall not be refunded in the event that the permit is not granted.
B. 
Application of section. This section shall not affect or be applicable to any person who operates a farm within the city if such person slaughters for his personal consumption.
C. 
Inspection. Upon such application which shall be presented to the Council for slaughtering or operating a slaughterhouse, the Health Officer and Inspection Department shall inspect said premises and report to the Council, in writing, setting forth the conditions of said premises.
[Amended 6-24-1997 by Ord. No. 844]
D. 
Compliance with rules and regulations required. Such slaughtering and slaughterhouses shall be in as sanitary a condition as possible in compliance with all the rules and regulations set forth by the Council and the State Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
[Amended 6-24-1997 by Ord. No. 844]
E. 
Revocation. The Council for good cause may revoke such permit at any time by a three-fourths majority of said Council.