The following words and phrases, when used in this article, shall, for the purposes of this article, have the meanings respectively ascribed to them in this section, unless the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
BUSINESS BUILDING
Any structure, whether public or private, that is adapted for occupancy for transaction of business, for rendering of professional service, for amusement, for the display, sale or storage of goods, wares or merchandise, or for the performance of work or labor, including hotels, apartment buildings, tenement houses, rooming houses, office buildings, public buildings, stores, theaters, markets, restaurants, grain elevators, abattoirs, warehouses, workshops, factories and all outhouses, sheds, barns and other structures on premises used for business purposes.
OCCUPANT
The individual, partnership or corporation that uses or occupies any business building or part or fraction thereof, whether or not the actual owner or tenant. In the case of vacant business buildings or vacant portions thereof, the owner, agent or custodian shall have the responsibility as occupant.
OFFICER
Any authorized officer or agent of the City.
OWNER
The actual owner, agent or custodian of the business building, whether an individual, partnership or corporation. The lessee shall be construed as the owner for the purpose of this article when business building agreements hold the lessee responsible for maintenance and repairs.
RAT ERADICATION
The elimination or extermination of rats within buildings by any or all of the accepted measures, such as poisoning, fumigation, trapping, clubbing, etc.
RAT HARBORAGE
Any condition which provides shelter or protection for rats, thus favoring their multiplication and continued existence in, under or outside of any structure.
RATPROOFING
Applies to a form of construction to prevent the ingress of rats into business buildings from the exterior or from one business building or establishment to another. It consists essentially of treatment with material, impervious to rat gnawing, of all actual or potential openings in exterior walls, ground or first floors, basements, roof and foundations that may be reached by rats from the ground by climbing or by burrowing.
The purpose of this article is to prevent and control the spread of rats and diseases and infection carried by them.
Whenever conditions inside or under business buildings provide harborage for rats, the City, through its officer, may require the owner to eliminate such harborage by the installation of suitable concrete floors in basements or replacement of wooden first or ground floors with concrete or otherwise abate such conditions to facilitate rat eradication.
It shall be unlawful for the occupant, owner, contractor, public utility company, plumber or any other person to remove and fail to restore in like condition the ratproofing from any business building for any purpose. It shall be unlawful for any person or agent to make any new opening in a business building, which opening is not closed or sealed against the entrance of rats.
It shall be unlawful for any person to construct, repair or remodel any building, dwelling, stable, market or other structure whatsoever unless such construction, repair, remodeling or installation shall render the building or other structure ratproof in accordance with the regulations prescribed in this article. The provisions of this section apply only to such construction, repairs, remodeling or installation as affect the ratproof condition of any building or other structure.
All food and feed within the City for feeding chickens, cows, pigs, horses and other animals shall be stored in rat-free and ratproof containers, compartments or rooms unless stored in a ratproof building.