(A) The City Council of the city is enacting this chapter to help prevent the spread of graffiti vandalism and to establish a program for the removal of graffiti from public and private property.
(B) The Council finds that graffiti is a public nuisance and destructive of the rights and values of property owners as well as the entire community. Graffiti perpetrators are often associated with other criminal activities, including violent crimes. Unless the city acts to remove graffiti from public and private property, the graffiti tends to remain. Other properties then become the target of graffiti and entire neighborhoods are affected and become less desirable places in which to be, all to the detriment of the city.
(C) The City Council intends, through the adoption of this chapter, to provide additional enforcement tools to protect public and private property from acts of graffiti vandalism and defacement of public and private property. The council does not intend for this chapter to conflict with any existing anti-graffiti state laws or "criminal damage to property" laws.
(Ord. 2002-972, passed 5-13-02)