A. Every act unlawfully done and every omission to perform a duty, which act or omission does any of the following, shall constitute a nuisance:
1. Annoys, injures, or endangers the safety, health, comfort, repose, or life of the citizens of the city; or
2. Offends public decency; or
3. Unlawfully interferes with, obstructs, or tends to obstruct, or renders dangerous for passage, a public park, street, alley, highway, or other public area; or
4. In any way renders any citizens of the city insecure in life or use of property.
B. The following acts, in addition to any others in violation of subsection A. of this section, shall constitute a nuisance:
1. Erecting, maintaining, using, placing, depositing, allowing, leaving, causing or permitting to remain in or upon any property within the city an accumulation of any 1 or a combination of the items listed in this section.
a. Any rubbish-covered exterior areas, including all buildings and structures thereon and areas adjacent thereto.
b. Any junkyard (except where they are permitted by the zoning ordinance of the city).
c. Any accumulation on the property of junk or other items of a similar nature or anything whatsoever in which insects may breed or multiply or which provides a harborage for rodents, or which may create a fire hazard, unless it is kept in covered bins or receptacles. Junk is not allowed in the front yard; in the side or rear yard, unless screened from the right-of-way by means of a sight obscuring wall, fence or hedge; in the side or rear yard unless screened from the neighboring properties by means of a sight-obscuring wall, fence or hedge, or concealed by a fitted cover. All means of screening must be maintained in good repair.
d. Any landscaping that is substantially dead, damaged, or characterized by uncontrolled growth, or presents a deteriorated appearance; uncultivated plants, weeds, tall grass, uncultivated shrubs or growth (growing or otherwise) higher than 12 inches; or any dead trees, bushes, shrubs or portions thereof, including stumps; or any scorpion weed or any noxious or toxic weeds or uncultivated plants or trees.
e. Any garbage, putrid, unsound or unwholesome bones, meat, hides, skins or the whole or any part of any dead animal, fish or fowl, butcher's trimmings and offal, or any waste vegetation or animal matter in any quantity, garbage, human excreta, sewage or other offensive substances; or other items of a similar nature or anything whatsoever in which insects may breed or multiply or which provides a harborage for rodents or which may create a fire hazard, unless it is kept in covered bins or receptacles.
f. Any unsightly and dangerous building, billboard or other structure or any old, abandoned or partially destroyed building or structure or any building or structure commenced and abandoned.
2. The erection, continuance or use of any building, room or other place in the city for the exercise of any trade, employment or manufacture which, by noxious exhalations, included but not limited to smoke, soot, dust, fumes or other gasses, offensive odors or other annoyances is discomforting or offensive or detrimental to the health of individuals or of the public;
3. Burning or disposal of refuse, sawdust or other material in such a manner as to cause or permit ashes, sawdust, soot or cinders to be cast upon the streets or alleys of the city, or to cause or to permit the smoke, ashes, soot or gasses arising from such burning to become annoying to any considerable number of persons, or to injure or endanger the health, comfort or repose of the persons; provided, that this subsection does not apply where the person responsible for the action has properly obtained a fire permit from the Fire Department or County Health Officer;
4. To discard, abandon or leave in any place accessible to children any refrigerator, icebox, deep-freeze locker, clothes dryer, washing machine, or other appliance, having a capacity of one and one-half cubic feet or more, which is no longer in use, and which has not had the door removed or the hinges and such portion of the latch mechanism removed to prevent latching or locking of the door. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any vendor or seller of refrigerators, iceboxes, deep-freeze lockers, clothes dryers, washing machines, or other appliances, who keeps or stores them for sale purposes, if the vendor or seller takes reasonable precautions to effectively secure the door of any such refrigerator, icebox, deep-freeze locker, clothes dryer, washing machine, or other appliance so as to prevent entrance by children small enough to fit therein.
5. To leave or permit to remain outside of any structure (except where they are permitted by the zoning ordinance of the city), any inoperable vehicle or watercraft. Inoperable vehicles or watercraft are not allowed in the front yard; in the side or rear yard unless screened from the right-of-way by means of a sight-obscuring wall, fence, or hedge; in the side or rear yard unless screened from the neighboring properties by means of a sight-obscuring wall, fence, or hedge, or concealed by a fitted cover. Means of screening must be maintained in good repair. Inoperable vehicles or watercraft are never to be left on any property on blocks or jacks, or with deflated tires, or from which the wheels or tires have been removed.
(Prior Code, §§ 7-2-2, 7-2-3) (Ord. 22-1294, passed 10-11-2022; Ord. 16-1154, passed 7-12-2016; Ord. 09-967, (part), passed 4-14-2009; Ord. 92-386, § 1, passed - -1992; Ord. 86-177, (part), passed - -1986)