The following words, terms, and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
ABANDONED NUISANCE VEHICLE. A motor vehicle that is at least ten years old and is of a condition only to be demolished, crushed, or dismantled.
ALLEY. An unnamed public right-of-way that is designed to serve as utility access or secondary means of pedestrian or vehicular access to the rear or side of those properties whose principal frontage is on some other street.
ANTIQUE VEHICLE. A passenger vehicle with a frame, body and motor that is at least 25 years old. The vehicle is not a replica or aftermarket vehicle and the vehicle is a collector’s item that can only be used for exhibition, club activities, parades, and other functions of public interest. The vehicle must have a current valid antique plate issued by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles affixed to the vehicle and shall not be used for daily transportation except when routine maintenance is needed. The vehicle shall not carry advertising.
BANDIT SIGN. Any written, electronic or pictorial form of communication which is posted, attached or affixed on unauthorized areas to include, but are not limited to, public property, roadways, railroad right-of-ways, sidewalks, curbs, public easements, right-of-ways, utility poles, roadway signs, trees, traffic control devices, fire hydrants, barricades, or private property without the consent of the owner.
CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT. Any vehicle, equipment or device designed or intended for use in construction or material handling including but not limited to air compressors, pile drivers, pneumatic or hydraulic tools, bulldozers, tractors, excavators, trenchers, forklifts, cranes, derricks, loaders, skid steers, track loaders, backhoes, scrapers, pavers, generators, off-highway haulers or trucks, ditchers, compactors and rollers, pumps, concrete mixers, graders, scaffolds, other material handling equipment and other like devices.
CULTIVATED AGRICULTURAL PROPERTY. Property that has been granted an agricultural use designation by the Johnson County Central Appraisal District pursuant to the state property tax code and on which a crop is growing that is recognized by the county agricultural extension office or its successor designee as a viable crop for the Johnson County area.
DEGRADABLE. Material that will undergo a process of deterioration or breaking-up by the action of natural forces such as air, light, water or microorganisms. DEGRADABLE materials include, but are not limited to food products, wood, paper, cloth, wool, gypsum, and certain plastics.
DEMOLISHER. A person whose business is to convert a motor vehicle into processed scrap or scrap metal or to otherwise wreck or dismantle a motor vehicle.
DISABLED VEHICLE. A motor vehicle, trailer, recreational vehicle, boat, or personal watercraft that is:
(1) Unregistered, unlicensed, or does not have a valid required vehicle inspection;
(2) Wrecked or dismantled;
(3) Inoperative due to mechanical failure, collision, dilapidation; or
(4) Incapable of operating safely or legally on a public roadway or waterway.
GARAGEKEEPER. An owner or operator of a parking place or establishment, motor vehicle storage facility, or establishment for the servicing, repair or maintenance of a motor vehicle.
GRAFFITI. Any unauthorized inscription, word, signature, symbol, design, or other marking of any sort that is etched, written, painted, drawn, or applied in any other way to any structure, building, tree, vehicle, or property of any sort, or to any portion or element thereof.
HEAVY LOAD VEHICLE. A motor vehicle having a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) greater than 16,000 pounds, such as large recreational vehicles, semi-trucks or tractor-trailers, buses, farm or construction equipment, and other similar motor vehicles.
INOPERABLE VEHICLE. A vehicle that cannot safely and legally be driven upon public roadways, operated on a waterway or flown for reasons including, but not limited to, being unlicensed, unregistered, uninspected, wrecked, abandoned, in a state of disrepair, or incapable of moving under its own power.
IMPROVED SURFACE. A ground surface covered with an approved material such as reinforced concrete, asphalt, brick pavers, concrete pavers, or rock and/or gravel in such a manner as is designed to properly support the gross weight of the vehicle parked, and prohibit weed growth through the surface and prevent the seepage of oil, fuel and other vehicle fluids into the ground.
HOME COMPOSTING. The decomposition, land application and mulching of non-industrial organic material, such as grass clippings, leaves, brush, clean wood material or vegetative food material, generated by a homeowner, tenant of a single- or multi-family residential or apartment complex, or a commercial or institutional complex where the composting, land application or mulching occurs on the dwelling property and the final product is utilized on the same property. HOME COMPOSTING includes neighborhood composting demonstration sites which generate less than 50 cubic yards of final product per year.
JUNK. All worn-out, worthless, an discarded material, in general, including but not limited to old iron or other metal, glass, paper, cordage, or other waste or discarded materials.
JUNKED VEHICLE.
(1) A vehicle that is self-propelled and:
(a) Is wrecked, dismantled, partially dismantled or discarded; or
(b) Inoperable and has remained inoperable for more than:
1. Seventy-two consecutive hours, if the vehicle is on public property; or
2. Thirty consecutive days, if the vehicle is on private property.
(2) For purpose of this division, JUNKED VEHICLE also includes:
(a) An aircraft that does not have lawfully printed on the aircraft an unexpired federal aircraft identification number registered under Federal Aviation Administration aircraft registration regulations in 14 C.F.R. Part 47; and
(b) A watercraft that does not have lawfully on board an unexpired certificate of number and is not a watercraft described by Tex. Parks and Wildlife Code § 31.055.
MEMBRANE STRUCTURE. A pressurized or non-pressurized structure supported by air inflation, cables, ropes or other mechanical means, covered with fabric, plastic, vinyl, rubber or similar pliable material. Membrane structures may include, but are not limited to, tents, canopies, temporary carports, portable garages, air-supported structures, air-inflated or tensioned membrane structures.
MOTOR VEHICLE. A motor vehicle subject to registration under the Certificate of Title Act, Tex. Trans. Code § 501.001 et seq.
MOTOR VEHICLE COLLECTOR. The owner of one or more antique or special interest vehicles who acquires, collects, or disposes of an antique or special interest vehicle for personal use to restore and preserve an antique or special interest vehicle for historic interest.
NOXIOUS AND INVASIVE PLANTS. Any plant that has a serious potential to cause economical or ecological harm to the agriculture, horticulture, native plants, ecology or waterways of Texas. NOXIOUS AND INVASIVE PLANTS shall be those plants identified by the Texas Department of Agriculture as noxious or invasive and shall include, but not limited to, Golden Bamboo and other species of bamboo which are deemed to be invasive to adjoining properties.
NUISANCE. A thing, act, occupation, condition or use of property which substantially interferes with the use and enjoyment of another's property or threatens the health, morals, safety, comfort, convenience, or welfare of the community.
PERSON. Any natural person, association of persons, partnership, corporation, agent, or officer, and shall also include all warehousemen, common and private carriers, bailees, trustees, receivers, executors, administrators, parents, and guardians.
RECREATIONAL EQUIPMENT. Includes off-highway vehicles (OHV), all-terrain vehicles (ATV), personal watercraft (PWC), side-by-sides (UTV), race cars, drag cars, drift cars, unlicensed hunting/ranch/farm vehicles, dirt bikes, go carts, golf carts and other similar vehicles, including crates or trailers used for transporting recreational equipment, whether occupied by such equipment or not.
RECREATIONAL VEHICLE (RV). A vehicle which is designed as a temporary dwelling for travel, camping, recreational, seasonal or vacation use, and is either self-propelled, mounted on, or pulled by another vehicle. Examples include but are not limited to a travel trailer, camping trailer, truck
camper, popup camper, motor home, motor coaches, tent trailers, fifth-wheel trailer, or camper van. The exterior length of a recreational vehicle shall be the greatest distance measured from the front exterior wall or bumper of the vehicle to the rear exterior wall or bumper of the vehicle.
REFUSE. All waste materials defined as garbage or rubbish by the IPMC.
SPECIAL INTEREST VEHICLE. A motor vehicle of any age that has not been changed from original manufacturer’s specifications and, because of its historic interest, is being preserved by a hobbyist.
TARPAULIN (TARP). A protective covering made of plastic, or other waterproof material used to overlay and protect items from moisture.
TRAILER. A vehicle with wheels, with or without cargo, that is not self-propelled. Trailers shall include, but are not limited to, cargo trailer, boat trailer, livestock trailer, horse trailer, utility trailer, semi-trailer, equipment trailer, vehicle hauling trailer, and dump trailer, excluding recreational vehicles.
VEHICLE. A device in or by which a person or property is or may be transported or drawn on a public highway, other than a device used exclusively on stationary rails or tracks.
WATERCRAFT. A vessel subject to registration under Tex. Parks and Wildlife Code § 31.01 et seq.
(Ord. 11-2018-96, passed 11-27-18; Am. Ord. 04-2023-30, passed 4-25-23)