[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Franklin 8-5-1997 by Ord. No. 97-1461 as Sec 12.61 of the 1997 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Nuisances — See Ch. 178.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
HARDWARE CLOTH
Wire screening of such thickness and spacing as to afford reasonable protection against the entrance of rats.
OWNER OR MANAGER
Whenever any person shall be in possession of or have charge, care or control of any property within the city, as personal representative, administrator, trustee, guardian or agent, such person shall be deemed the owner of such property within the meaning of this chapter, and shall comply with this chapter to the same extent as the owner, and notice to any person of any order or decision of the Health Officer shall be sufficient notice, as if such person actually was the owner of such property, except that whenever an entire premises or building is occupied as a place of business, such as a store, factory, warehouse, rooming house, junkyard, lumberyard or any other business under a single management, the person in charge of such business shall be considered the owner or manager.
RAT HARBORAGE
Any place where rats can live and nest without fear of frequent molestation or disturbance.
RATPROOF CONTAINER
A ratproof container is a container constructed of concrete or metal or lined with metal or other material that is impervious to rats, and openings into the container, such as doors, shall be tight-fitting to prevent the entrance of rats.
RATPROOFING
Shall consist of closing openings in building foundations and openings under and around doors, windows, vents and other places, which could provide means of entry for rats, with concrete, sheet iron, hardware cloth or other types of ratproofing material approved by the Health Officer.
Whenever accumulations of rubbish, boxes, lumber, scrap metal, car bodies or any other materials provide rat harborage, the person owning or in control of such materials shall cause the materials to be removed or stored so as to eliminate the rat harborage. Lumber boxes and similar materials shall be neatly piled. These piles shall be raised at least a foot above the ground. When the owner cannot be found, after reasonable search, the owner or manager of the premises shall be responsible for disposal or proper piling of the materials.
No person shall place or allow to accumulate any materials that may serve as food for rats in a site accessible to rats. Any waste material that may serve as food for rats shall be stored in ratproof containers. Feed for birds shall be placed on raised platforms or where it is not accessible to rats.
Whenever rat holes, burrows or other evidence of rat infestation are found on any premises in any building within the city, the owner or manager of such property shall exterminate the rats or cause the rats to be exterminated. Within 10 days after extermination, the owner or manager shall fill all of the rat holes or burrows in the ground with earth, ashes or other suitable material.
A. 
The owner or manager of any building in the city shall make such building reasonably ratproof, replace broken windows and, when necessary, cover the basement window openings with hardware cloth or other suitable material for preventing rats from entering the building through such window openings.
B. 
The owner or manager of any premises upon which sheds, barns, coops or similar buildings are located shall eliminate the rat harborages from within and under such buildings by ratproofing, raising the buildings above the ground or by some other suitable method; or such sheds, barns, coops or other buildings shall be razed.
The owner or manager of the property shall ensure that the lands or buildings located in the city are not rat-infested and shall take appropriate steps to eliminate the rats if the lands or buildings become rat-infested. However, if the owner or manager has not taken appropriate steps to eliminate rats on the property under his or her control, the Health Officer or Sanitarian shall issue a notice ordering such owner or manager to take steps to eliminate the rats within 30 days. If appropriate steps are not taken by such owner or manager to eliminate the rats, the city may, at its discretion, enter such property and take steps to eliminate the rats. The cost of such rat elimination shall be billed to the owner or manager of such property. If the bill is not paid, such cost shall be added to the real property as a tax bill. This section shall not be a bar for seeking a penalty against the owner or manager under § 207-3.
Except as otherwise provided, any person who shall violate any provision of this chapter, or any order, rule or regulation made hereunder, shall be subject to a penalty as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, § 1-19.