(A) Any authorized Zoning Enforcement Officer may perform inspections upon any property to confirm the violation of provisions of this chapter. The inspections may be done within public areas of the property considered curtilage or those areas which can be viewed from public rights of way, public properties, from the curtilage areas of adjacent private properties or from private areas on adjacent properties with the permission of those neighboring property owners.
(B) All inspections shall be conducted during reasonable hours of operation and activity or when property owners and/or tenants are less likely to be disturbed.
(C) Inspections of interior areas of structures and private exterior areas of properties not otherwise visible to the Zoning Enforcement Officer shall occur with the owner(s) or tenants permission or after obtaining an administrative warrant. In all cases, the designated Zoning Enforcement Officer shall properly notify the owners and/or tenants present and provide credentials verifying their identity and reason for the inspection.
(D) In the case of inspections for open permits as outlined below, authorization to enter the property during reasonable hours for the purpose of inspection is considered granted to the Zoning Enforcement Officer with the application. The exception to this shall be any secured areas inaccessible without the owner or tenant or areas inhabited at the time of the inspection.
(E) When violations of this chapter are observed by the Zoning Enforcement Officer, the violations shall be properly documented using photographs, written descriptions and other means as necessary.
(F) Notice of violation consistent with Chapter 10 must be presented to the property owner(s) and optionally, the tenant or person responsible for violation on the property. Notice must be delivered by hand, through email or via first-class mail and optionally may be posted on site. The Zoning Enforcement Officer shall properly document the date and content of all notice of violations and any evidence of violations included therein.
(Ord. 21-26, passed 7-12-21) Penalty, see § 10.99