Subd. 1. Definitions. For the purpose of this section, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
A. Repealed.
(Ord. 518, Second Series, passed 2-22-05)
B. JUNK. All scrap metal, rags, batteries, paper, trash, rubber tires, debris, waste, wood and/or construction materials not used in connection with a building project on which there has been issued a valid building permit or which is carried as inventory in an on-going construction business at a lawful place of business, dismantled vehicles, machinery and appliances or parts thereof and parts of vehicles, glass, tinware, plastic, aluminum and/or steel cans, old or discarded household goods, household furnishings or furniture, hardware or appliances. Neatly stacked firewood located so as to comply with the setback requirements as set forth in Chapter 11 and in accordance with side yard or rear yard setback requirements shall not be considered JUNK.
Subd. 2. Repealed.
(Ord. 518, Second Series, passed 2-22-05)
Subd. 3. Enforcement. The City Planning Department and/or City Sanitarian shall enforce the provisions of this section.
Subd. 4. Notice and abatement.
A. Public nuisance. Whoever by his or her act or failure to perform a legal duty intentionally does any of the following is guilty of maintaining a public nuisance, which is a misdemeanor:
1. Maintains or permits a condition which unreasonably annoys, injures or endangers the safety, health, morals, comfort or repose of any considerable number of members of the public;
2. Interferes with, obstructs or renders dangerous for passage any public highway or right- of-way, or waters used by the public; or
3. Is guilty of any other act or omission declared by law or Subpars. B, C, or D, or any other part of this code to be a public nuisance and for which no sentence is specifically provided.
B. Public nuisances affecting health. The following are hereby declared to be nuisances affecting health:
1. Exposed accumulation of decayed or unwholesome food or vegetable matter;
2. All diseased animals running at large;
3. All ponds or pools of stagnant water;
4. Carcasses of animals not buried or destroyed within 24 hours after death;
5. Accumulations of manure, refuse, junk or other debris.
6. Privy vaults and garbage cans which are not rodent-free or fly-tight or which are so maintained as to constitute a health hazard or to emit foul and disagreeable odors;
7. The pollution of any public well or cistern, stream or lake, canal or body of water by sewage, industrial waste or other substances;
8. All noxious weeds and other rank growths of vegetation upon public or private property;
9. Dense smoke, noxious fumes, gas and soot, or cinders, in unreasonable quantities;
10. All public exposure of people having a contagious disease; and
11. Any offensive trade or business as defined by statute not operating under local license.
C. Public nuisances affecting morals and decency. The following are hereby declared to be nuisances affecting public morals and decency:
1. All gambling devices, slot machines and punch boards, except as otherwise authorized by federal, state or local law;
2. Betting, bookmaking and all apparatus used in those occupations;
3. All houses kept for the purpose of prostitution or promiscuous sexual intercourse, gambling houses, houses of ill fame and bawdy houses;
4. All places where intoxicating liquor is manufactured or disposed of in violation of law or where, in violation of law, people are permitted to resort for the purpose of drinking intoxicating liquor, or where intoxicating liquor is kept for sale or other disposition in violation of law, and all liquor and other property used for maintaining that place;
5. Any vehicle used for the unlawful transportation of intoxicating liquor, or for promiscuous sexual intercourse, or any other immoral or illegal purpose.
D. Public nuisances affecting peace and safety. The following are declared to be nuisances affecting public peace and safety:
1. All snow and ice not removed from public sidewalks 24 hours after the snow or other precipitation causing the condition has ceased to fall;
2. All trees, hedges, billboards or other obstructions which prevent people from having a clear view of all traffic approaching an intersection;
3. All wires and limbs of trees which are so close to the surface of a sidewalk or street as to constitute a danger to pedestrians or vehicles;
4. All obnoxious noises in violation of Minn. Rules Chapter 7030, as they may be amended from time to time which are hereby incorporated by reference into this code.
5. The discharging of the exhaust or permitting the discharging of the exhaust of any stationary internal combustion engine, motor boat, motor vehicle, motorcycle, all terrain vehicle, snowmobile or any recreational device except through a muffler or other device that effectively prevents loud or explosive noises therefrom and complies with all applicable state laws and regulations.
6. The using or operation or permitting the using or operation of any radio receiving set, musical instrument, phonograph, paging system, machine or other device for producing or reproduction of sound in a distinctly and loudly audible manner so as to disturb the peace, quiet and comfort of any person nearby. Operation of any device referred to above between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in a manner so as to be plainly audible at the property line of the structure or building in which it is located, or at a distance of 50 feet if the source is located outside a structure or building shall be prima facie evidence of violation of this section.
7. No person shall participate in any party or other gathering of people giving rise to noise, unreasonably disturbing the peace, quiet, or repose of another person. When a police officer determines that a gathering is creating such a noise disturbance, the officer may order all persons present, other than the owner or tenant of the premises where the disturbance is occurring, to disperse immediately. No person shall refuse to leave after being ordered by a police officer to do so. Every owner or tenant of such premises who has knowledge of the disturbance shall make every reasonable effort to see that the disturbance is stopped.
8. Obstructions and excavations affecting the ordinary public use of streets, alleys, sidewalks or public grounds except under conditions as are permitted by this code or other applicable law;
9. Radio aerials or television antennae erected or maintained in a dangerous manner;
10. Any use of property abutting on a public street or sidewalk or any use of a public street or sidewalk which causes large crowds of people to gather, obstructing traffic and the free use of the street or sidewalk;
11. All hanging signs, awnings and other similar structures over streets and sidewalks, so situated so as to endanger public safety, or not constructed and maintained as provided by ordinance;
12. The allowing of rain water, ice or snow to fall from any building or structure upon any street or sidewalk or to flow across any sidewalk;
13. Any barbed wire fence less than six feet above the ground and within three feet of a public sidewalk or way;
14. All dangerous, unguarded machinery in any public place, or so situated or operated on private property as to attract the public;
15. Waste water cast upon or permitted to flow upon streets or other public properties;
16. Accumulations in the open of discarded or disused machinery, household appliances, automobile bodies or other material in a manner conducive to the harboring of rats, mice, snakes or vermin, or the rank growth of vegetation among the items so accumulated, or in a manner creating fire, health or safety hazards from accumulation;
17. Any well, hole or similar excavation which is left uncovered or in another condition as to constitute a hazard to any child or other person coming on the premises where it is located;
18. Obstruction to the free flow of water in a natural waterway or a public street drain, gutter or ditch with trash of other materials;
19. The placing or throwing on any street, sidewalk or other public property of any glass, tacks, nails, bottles or other substance which may injure any person or animal or damage any pneumatic tire when passing over the substance;
20. The depositing of garbage or refuse on a public right-of-way or on adjacent private property;
21. All other conditions or things which are likely to cause injury to the person or property of anyone.
22. a. Noises prohibited.
i. General prohibition. No person shall make or cause to be made any distinctly and loudly audible noise that unreasonably annoys, disturbs, injures, or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace, safety, or welfare of any person or precludes their enjoyment of property or affects their property’s value. This general prohibition is not limited by the specific restrictions of this section.
ii. Defective vehicles or loads. No person shall use any vehicle so out of repair or so loaded as to create loud and unnecessary grating, grinding, rattling, or other noise.
iii. Loading, unloading, unpacking. No person shall create loud or excessive noise in loading, unloading, or unpacking any vehicle.
iv. Radios, phonographs, paging systems, and the like. No person shall use or operate or permit the use or operation of any radio receiving set, musical instrument, phonograph, paging system, machine or other device for the production or reproduction of sound in a distinct and loudly audible manner as to unreasonably disturb the peace, quiet, and comfort of any person nearby. Operation of any such set, instrument, phonograph, machine or other device between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in such a manner as to be plainly audible at the property line of the structure or building in which it is located, in the hallway or apartment adjacent, or at a distance of 50 feet if the source is located outside a structure or building, shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of this section.
v. Schools, churches, hospitals, and the like. No person shall create any excessive noise on a street, alley or public grounds adjacent to any school, institution of learning, church or hospital when the noise unreasonably interferes with the working of the institution or disturbs or unduly annoys its occupants or residents and when conspicuous signs indicate the presence of such institution.
b. Hourly restriction of certain operations.
i. Domestic power equipment. No person shall operate a power lawn mower, power hedge clipper, chain saw, mulcher, garden tiller, edger, drill or other similar domestic power maintenance equipment except between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. on any weekday or between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. on any weekend or holiday. Snow removal equipment is exempt from this provision.
ii. Refuse hauling. No person shall collect or remove garbage or refuse in any residential district except between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. on any weekday or between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. on any weekend or holiday.
iii. Construction activities. No person shall engage in or permit construction activities involving the use of any kind of electric, diesel, or gas-powered machine or other power equipment except between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. on any weekday or between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. on any weekend or holiday.
c. Noise impact statements. The Council may require any person applying for a change in zoning classification or a permit or license for any structure, operation, process, installation or alteration or project that may be considered a potential noise source to submit a noise impact statement on a form prescribed by the Council. It shall evaluate each such statement and take its evaluation into account in approving or disapproving the license or permit applied for or the zoning change requested.
23. Reflected glare or light from private exterior lighting exceeding 0.5 footcandles as measured on the property line of the property where the lighting is located when abutting any residential parcel, and one footcandle when abutting any commercial or industrial parcel.
E. Whenever a public officer or other person charged with enforcement determines that a public nuisance is being maintained or exists on premises in the city, the city enforcement officer shall notify, in writing, the owner or occupant of the premises of the fact and order that the nuisance be terminated and abated.
F. The notice shall be served in person or by certified or registered mail. If the premises are not occupied and the owner is unknown, the notice may be served by posting it on the premises. The notice shall specify the steps to be taken to abate the nuisance and the time, not exceeding ten days, within which the nuisance is to be abated.
G. If an emergency exists that presents an immediate danger to citizens affecting their safety, the officer shall require immediate abatement of the nuisance. If the notice is not complied with within the time specified, the enforcing officer shall report that fact forthwith to the Council and may take such other appropriate action as may be necessary. The Council may, after notice to the owner or occupant, provide for the abating of the nuisance by the city.
Subd. 5. Recovery of cost. The owner of the premises on which a nuisance has been abated by the city shall be personally liable for the cost to the city of the abatement, including administrative costs. As soon as the work has been completed and the cost determined, the City Recorder shall prepare a bill for the cost and mail it to the owner. Thereupon, the amount shall be immediately due and payable at the office of the City Recorder. Ownership shall be presumed to be the owner as shown on the records of the County Treasurer unless the City Recorder has reason to know that the information is not accurate, in which event, notice shall be given to the other person as the City Recorder has reason to believe is, in fact, the true owner of the premises.
Subd. 6. Assessment. If the cost of abating the nuisance is not paid in full to the City Recorder before September 1, next, then on or before September 1, next, following the abatement of the nuisance, the City Recorder shall list the total unpaid charges along with other such charges, as well as other charges for current services to be assessed under M.S. § 429.101, as it may be amended from time to time, against each separate lot or parcel to which charges are attributable. The Council may then spread the charges against the property under that statute and other pertinent statutes for certification to the County Auditor and collection along with current taxes the following year or in annual installments, not exceeding ten, as the Council may determine in each case.
(`80 Code, § 10.14) (Ord. 219, Second Series, passed 10-8-90; Am. Ord. 518, Second Series, passed 2- 22-05; Am. Ord. 676, passed 10-21-19) Penalty, see § 1.99