(A) Adoption. The city shall hereby adopt the 2012 International Property Maintenance Code® as if fully set forth herein.
(B) Supplemental regulations.
101.1: TITLE.
Insert “the City of Blue Island”.
102.3: APPLICATION OF OTHER CODES.
Repairs, additions or alterations to a structure, or changes of occupancy, shall be done in accordance with the procedures and provisions of the City’s most currently adopted building, fire, electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes. Nothing in this code shall be construed to cancel, modify or set aside any provision of the City of Blue Island Zoning Code.
103.5: FEES.
Insert “The appropriate City of Blue Island fee schedule.”
108.4: PLACARDING.
Delete the word “Condemned” and insert“City Code violation.”
108.4.1: PLACARD REMOVAL.
Delete the word “condemnation” and insert “City Code violation.”
108.5: PROHIBITED OCCUPANCY.
Delete in entirety and insert:
Any person who shall occupy a placarded premises or structure or any part thereof, or shall use placarded equipment, and any owner or any person responsible for the premises who shall let anyone occupy a placarded premises, shall be liable for the penalties provided by this code. Notwithstanding the foregoing, access to a placarded structure may be permitted to a person or owner, for the limited purpose of removing personal property of said person or owner from said structure, provided they i) obtain permission of the City of Blue Island Building Department prior to said access, and ii) are accompanied by a City of Blue Island Building Department employee during the time of said access. The time and manner of access to a placarded structure shall be determined by the City of Blue Island Building Department during normal operating hours of the Building Department. Access to a structure pursuant to this Subsection is within the sound discretion of the Building Department and may be denied on the basis of safety, health, or hazard.
109.1: IMMINENT DANGER.
Delete “This Structure Is Unsafe and Its Occupancy has been Prohibited by the Code Officials and insert “NOT APPROVED FOR OCCUPANCY.”
112.4: FAILURE TO COMPLY.
Delete “of not less than $50.00 dollars or more than $750.00 dollars.”
112.5: FAILURE TO OBTAIN BUILDING PERMIT.
Whenever the code official finds any work regulated by this code being performed without the appropriate City Building Permit being displayed, the code official is authorized to post a “STOP WORK” warning on the jobsite until such time as the proper permits are obtained.
201.3: TERMS DEFINED IN OTHER CODES.
Delete in its entirety.
SECTION 202: GENERAL DEFINITIONS.
Shall be amended to include the following definitions:
Accessory Structure. A structure, whether temporary or permanent, the use of which is incidental and secondary to that of the principal building and is located on the same premises.
Basement. A portion of a building located partly underground, but having less than half its clear floor-to-ceiling height below the average grade of the adjoining ground.
Building. Any structure built for the support, shelter, or enclosure of persons, animals, chattels, or movable property of any kind, and which is permanently affixed to the land.
Building Code. The building code officially adopted by the legislative body of this jurisdiction, or such other code as may be officially designated by the legislative body of the jurisdiction for the regulation of construction, alteration, addition, repair, removal, demolition, use, location, occupancy and maintenance of buildings and structures.
Building Official. The official designated by the jurisdiction to enforce building, zoning or similar laws, or his duly authorized representative.
Cellar. A portion of a building located partly or wholly underground and having half or more than half of its clear floor-to-ceiling height below the average grade of the adjoining ground.
Dilapidated. A building, structure, or part thereof which is in a state of ruin or shabbiness resulting from neglect. The term implies a hazard to life or property.
Dwellings.
One-family dwelling: A building containing one dwelling unit.
Two-family dwelling: A building containing two (2) dwelling units.
Multi-family apartment house: A building or portion thereof containing more than two (2) dwelling units.
Boarding house, tourist house: A building arranged or used for the lodging with or without meals, for compensation, by more than five (5) and not more than twenty (20) individuals.
Rooming house: A building or part thereof, in which sleeping quarters (but not meals or cooking facilities) are provided by prearrangement for compensation on a weekly or longer basis for 3 or more persons.
Hotel: Any building containing six (6) or more guest rooms intended or designed to be used, or which are used, rented or hired out to be occupied, or which are occupied for sleeping purposes by guests.
Dwelling Unit. A single unit providing complete, independent living facilities for one (1) or more persons including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation.
Exterior Property Areas. The open space on the premises and on adjoining property under the control of owners or operators of such premises.
Extermination. The control and elimination of insects, rodents, or other pests by eliminating their harboring places; by removing or making inaccessible materials that may serve as their food; by poisoning, spraying, fumigation, trapping; or by any other recognized and legal pest elimination approved by the health officer.
Garbage. Wastes resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking and consumption of food including wastes from the handling, storage and sale of produce.
Grade. The average level of the finished surface of the ground adjacent to the exterior
Hotel. See “Dwellings.”
Infestation. The presence, within or contiguous to, a structure or premises, of insects, rodents, vermin or other pests.
Junk Vehicle. Any vehicle which is without a currently valid license plate or plates and is in either a rusted, wrecked, discharged, dismantled, partly dismantled, inoperative, or abandoned condition. A junked vehicle shall be classified as to its condition in one (1) of the two (2) following categories:
Restorable: A junked vehicle that is in a condition whereby repairs to same could be made to place it in operating condition without exceeding the estimated value when repaired.
Wreck: A junked vehicle in such condition that it is economically unsound to restore same to operating condition considering the repairs to be made, age of the vehicle, market value of the vehicle if it were restored or in such condition that the public officer, in his opinion determines that it warrants such classification.
The code official shall make the final determination as to the classification to be assigned to any one (1) particular vehicle.
Maintenance. Conformance of a building and its facilities to the code under which the building was constructed.
Multifamily Dwellings. See “Dwellings.”
Occupant. Any person, living, sleeping, cooking, or eating in, or having actual possession of a dwelling unit or rooming unit.
Refuse. See “Rubbish.”
Rehabilitation. Repairs to, or replacement of, present elements of any existing building, such as windows, stairs, flooring, wiring, etc.; or rearrangement of rooms, by the relocation of partitions or walls; or by the installation of new bathrooms or kitchens; or the general replacement of the interior or portions of the interior of a building; which may or may not include changes to structural elements such as floor systems, roof systems, columns, or load bearing interior or exterior walls.
Renovation. A building and its facilities made to conform to present day minimum standards of sanitation, fire and life safety.
Service Facilities. Those facilities and fixtures necessary for the supply of such required basic services as heat, electricity, hot and cold water, and sewage disposal.
Unsanitary Condition. A condition constituting a danger or hazard to the health of a person or persons occupying or frequenting a building or premises, or to the general public.
SECTION 301.2.1: RESPONSIBILITY OF LESSOR.
Any dwelling unit, offered for rental, is required to be inspected by Building Department inspectors prior to occupancy. All rental units must be clean, sanitary, pest free and in good repair. All required or supplied equipment, fixtures and structural elements shall function as intended by the manufacturer or builder of said item. All walls and ceilings to be either freshly painted or grease free, cleaned and sanitized.
SECTION 302.3: SIDEWALKS AND DRIVEWAYS.
Delete in entirety and insert:
All sidewalks, walkways, stairs, driveways, parking spaces and similar paved areas for public use shall be kept in a proper state of repair and free of all snow, ice, mud and other debris. If any sidewalk or driveway or portion thereof by virtue of its state of repair shall constitute a danger to public health and safety, the sidewalk or driveway or portion thereof shall be replaced.
Property owners shall maintain all parkway areas, curb lines, easements and alleyways to the midpoint adjacent to their property. Tree maintenance and planting in the parkways shall be done in accordance with any applicable ordinances.
SECTION 302.4: WEEDS.
Insert “six (6) inches.”
Add new:
Section 302.4.1: Yards.
All residential yard areas not covered by buildings, gardens or common landscaping will be maintained with grass.
SECTION 302.8: MOTOR VEHICLES.
Delete in entirety and insert:
Except as provided in other regulations, not more than one (1) currently unregistered and/or uninspected motor vehicle shall be parked on any property in a residential district. No vehicle shall be allowed to be in a state of major disassembly, disrepair or in any condition as defined as a junk vehicles, nor shall it be in the process of being stripped or dismantled. A vehicle of any type shall not at any time undergo major overhaul, including bodywork, in a residential district. No automotive repair business of any type shall be allowed on residential properties.
SECTION 302.8.1: MOTOR VEHICLE PARKING.
All parking areas for motor vehicles shall be paved with bituminous, concrete or an equivalent surface and shall be kept free from litter and debris and in good repair. Boats, watercraft, recreational watercraft, recreational vehicles, trailers and campers or any vehicle pulled by another vehicle or upon a trailer may only be parked in barrier areas in the rear yard. The surface in these areas shall be bituminous, concrete, gravel or an equivalent surface and shall be kept free from litter, debris and in good repair. The barriers shall be constructed of concrete, landscape timbers or other equivalent material approved by the building department.
SECTION 302.8.3: MOTOR VEHICLE PARKING, NON-RESIDENTIAL.
Except as provided in other regulations and approved by the code official, not more than two (2) currently unregistered and/or uninspected motor vehicles shall be permitted on any property in a non-residential district, and any vehicle shall not at any time be in the process of being stripped or dismantled.
SECTION 302.9.1: DUMPING UPON A WATERWAY.
Depositing or throwing refuse or garbage of any kind in a channel, river, stream or any waterway is prohibited.
SECTION 302.9.2: LITTERING.
Throwing or depositing garbage or refuse of any kind, including but not limited to cans, bottles, paper and plastic, in any street, alley, park or public way within the City is unlawful.
SECTION 302.10: REMOVAL OF UNUSED FUEL OIL DRUMS.
Fuel oil drums or tanks, which are no longer in use to store fuel oil for heating, shall be removed prior to the transfer of ownership of any real property in which they are located. Removal shall be accomplished as a condition of approval of the premises for sale by the building department. The Building Department may order immediate removal of any fuel oil drums or tanks that it determines endangers or may endanger the public’s health, safety or welfare if not removed. The owner or occupant of the real property shall remove the fuel oil drum or tank immediately if ordered to do so in this situation.
SECTION 302.11: CARETAKER.
In every multiple dwelling two (2) units or more there shall be a person or entity designated by the owner, whose duties include maintaining the commonly used parts of the premises. It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to provide the name and emergency contact information for the designated individual or entity to the Building Department and update it as needed. It shall be the responsibility of the Building Commissioner to maintain these records.
SECTION 302.12: PROVISION OF SERVICE FACILITY, EQUIPMENT OR UTILITY.
No owner, operator or occupant shall cause any service facility, equipment or utility which is required under this housing code, to be removed from, shut off and/or discontinued from any occupied dwelling unit, except such temporary interruption as may be necessary while actual repairs or alterations are in process, when discontinuance of service is approved by the Building Commissioner, and except during temporary emergencies.
SECTION 302.13: OUTDOOR STORAGE AREAS.
Business Zoning Districts: All storage, with the exception of “limited’ display of merchandise, shall be in completely enclosed buildings or obscured from public view by a solid fence or wall not less than eight (8) feet in height or by densely planted vegetation so designed and planted as to be 75 percent opaque when viewed horizontally between two (2) feet and eight (8) feet above ground level.
Residential Zoning Districts: All outdoor storage for a continuous period exceeding 15 days in length shall be enclosed or obscured from view as required for storage in business districts. However, the storage of such functional items as children’s play structures, firewood, and operable automobiles and bicycles shall be exempt from this provision.
SECTION 304.3: PREMISES IDENTIFICATION.
Delete in entirety and insert:
All buildings shall have an appropriate address marking affixed to the structure in a location and size that is visible and legible to any public safety or emergency vehicle from the street. All buildings that are accessible from a public alley vehicle shall also have an appropriate address marking affixed in a location and size that is visible and legible to any public safety or emergency vehicle from the public alley. These numbers shall contrast with their background. Address numbers shall be Arabic numerals or alphabet letters. Numbers shall be a minimum of 4 inches (102 mm) high with a minimum stroke width of 0.5 inch (12.7 mm).
SECTION 304.5.1: BASEMENTS FREE FROM DAMPNESS.
Cellars, basements and crawl spaces shall be maintained reasonably free from dampness to prevent conditions conducive to decay or deterioration of the structure.
SECTION 304.7: ROOFS AND DRAINAGE.
Insert at end:
“and the discharge hose must be at least five (5) feet away from all property lines. Sump pump discharges must be directed to the rear of the property and must end at least ten (10) feet from property lines. All residential gutters and downspouts shall be disconnected from entry into the sewer system except in those instances when the Building Commissioner or his designee determines that a discharge of water cannot be made into a yard area without causing a problem to the property owner or to an adjacent property.”
SECTION 304.14: INSECT SCREENS.
Delete “During the period from (DATE) to (DATE)
SECTION 305.3.1: BATHROOM AND KITCHEN FLOORS.
Every toilet, bathroom and kitchen floor surface shall be constructed and maintained so as to be substantially impervious to water and so as to permit such floor to be easily kept in a clean and sanitary condition and uniform in appearance.
SECTION 307.1: GENERAL.
Delete in entirety and insert:
Every interior and exterior flight of stairs shall conform to the applicable codes and requirements of the currently adopted version of the International Residential Code.
SECTION 308.3.1: GARBAGE FACILITIES.
Delete in entirety and insert:
The owner of every multi-family dwelling containing four (4) units or more, and all commercial businesses, shall contract with a private scavenger service for disposal of all garbage, rubbish, trash or other disposables. All such items are required to be placed in leakproof containers equipped with close-fitting covers, provided by the scavenger service for the storage of such materials. All garbage, rubbish, trash or other disposable items are to be placed in the container, no higher than the top of the container, with the lids closed at all times, until removed from the premises by the scavenger company. In the event that the garbage, rubbish, trash or other disposable items exceeds the top of the container and the lids cannot be tightly closed it is the responsibility of the owner or operator of the dwelling or business to contact the scavenger service for more frequent pick-ups or additional containers. No garbage, rubbish, trash or other disposables are to be placed or left on the ground.
SECTION 308.3.2: CONTAINERS.
Delete in entirety and insert:
All single family, two or three unit dwellings, are required to have a sufficient number of garbage totters. There should be a minimum of one totter per unit. All garbage, rubbish, trash or other disposable items are to be placed inside the totter and the lid kept tightly closed at all times. If there is more garbage, rubbish, trash or other disposable items than can be properly kept in a single totter with the lid tightly closed it is the responsibility of the owner to obtain an additional totter or totters. If more than one totter per unit is needed, they are available at an additional charge, The waste hauler having the current service contract with the City supplies garbage totters to be used. No garbage, rubbish, trash or other disposables are to be placed or left on the ground.
SECTION 308.3.3: USE OF GARBAGE BAGS.
Plastic bags outside the garbage container may only be used for leaves, grass clippings, newspapers or magazines. Papers and magazines not in containers must be bundled and tied. No wet garbage is to be placed in any plastic bag.
SECTION 308.3.4: SANITATION.
The owner of every dwelling is responsible to keep the area where garbage is stored in a clean and sanitary condition.
SECTION 309.4: MULTIPLE OCCUPANCY.
Delete “the public or shared areas of the structure and exterior property. If infestation is caused by failure of an occupant to prevent such infestation in the area occupied, the occupant shall be responsible for extermination.”
And add “all areas of the structure and exterior property. All extermination that is done in any residential building having two or more residential units shall be performed by an exterminator having a current state certification. “
SECTION 309.4.1: PROOF OF EXTERMINATION.
The owner of any rental unit shall provide proof that the unit has been exterminated prior to tenant occupying the unit.
SECTION 308.5: OCCUPANT.
Delete in entirety.
SECTION 404.1: PRIVACY.
Delete in entirety and add:
“Every dwelling unit shall be arranged in such a manner that each room is accessible from every other room without the use of hallways, rooms or other areas not exclusively a part of such dwelling unit. No dwelling unit shall be accessible from any hallway, room or other area not exclusively a part of such dwelling unit except through a doorway equipped with a door and a lock.”
SECTION 404.4.6: BASEMENT ROOMS.
Basement rooms partially below grade shall not be used for living purposes unless:
1. more than half its clear floor to ceiling height is above the average grade of the adjoining ground;
2. required minimum window area of every habitable room is entirely above the grade of the ground adjoining such window area;
3. the dwelling unit meets the other requirements of this Property Maintenance Code.
SECTION 404.6: EFFICIENCY UNIT.
Change “three” to “two.”
SECTION 502.5: PUBLIC TOILET FACILITIES.
Delete “International Plumbing Code” and add the “Illinois plumbing code.”
SECTION 505.4: WATER HEATING FACILITIES.
Delete “of not less than 110 degrees F (43 degrees C).”
And add “in accordance with the most currently adopted Illinois plumbing code.”
SECTION 602.2: RESIDENTIAL OCCUPANCIES.
Delete in entirety and add:
Every dwelling unit, or rooming unit shall have heating facilities which are properly installed, are maintained in safe and good working condition, and are capable of safely and adequately heating all habitable rooms, bathrooms and water closet compartments contained therein to a temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit at a distance of 18 inches above floor level when the outside temperature is a minimum 10 degrees Fahrenheit; provided that gas or electric appliances designed exclusively for cooking or water heating purposes shall not be considered as heating facilities within the meaning of this provision.
A minimum temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit from 6:30 A.M. to 11:00 P.M. and 65 degrees Fahrenheit from 11:00 P.M. to 6:30 A.M. averaged throughout any dwelling unit or rooming unit shall be maintained without such undue restriction of ventilation, as to interfere with proper healthful conditions.
SECTION 602.3: HEAT SUPPLY.
Delete in entirety.
SECTION 602.4: OCCUPIABLE WORK SPACES.
Delete “during the period from (DATE) to (DATE)”
SECTION 602.5: ROOM TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT.
Delete in entirety.
SECTION 604.2: SERVICE.
Delete “60 amperes” and add “100 amperes”
SECTION 702.2: AISLES.
Delete “International Fire Code” and add “most currently adopted Fire Code.”
SECTION 702.4: EMERGENCY ESCAPE OPENINGS.
Delete “Bars, grilles, grates or similar devices are permitted to be placed over emergency escape and rescue openings provided the minimum net clear opening size complies with the code that was in effect at the time of construction and such devices shall be releasable or removable from the inside without the use of a key, tool or force greater than that which is required for normal operation of the escape and rescue opening. “
SECTION 702.4.1: SECURITY COVERINGS.
Burglar bars, grilles, grates, gates or any other security type devices shall be prohibited from use in any and all applications.
SECTION 704.1: GENERAL.
Delete “International Fire Code” and add “most currently adopted Fire Code.”
SECTION 704.2: SMOKE ALARMS.
Delete “International Fire Code” and add “most currently adopted Fire Code.”
SECTION 704.3: POWER SOURCE.
Change “Exception: Smoke alarms” to “Exception: Existing smoke alarms”
APPENDIX A - BOARDING STANDARD.
Delete in entirety.
(Prior Code, § 150.025) (Ord. 12-168, passed 3-13-2012; Ord. 2015-040, passed 12-8-2015; Ord. 2023-011, passed 2-28-2023)