As used in this chapter:
(a) Agricultural Operation. “Agricultural operation” means any operation devoted to the bona fide production for sale of crops, animals and fowl, including the production for sale of fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy and poultry products, nuts, tobacco, nursery and floral products, and trees in such quantity and so spaced and maintained as to constitute a forest area.
(b) County Administrator. “County Administrator” includes his or her designee.
(c) Director of Public Health. “Director of Public Health” includes his or her designee.
(d) Emergency Situation. “Emergency situation” means any situation involving a hazardous condition, nuisance or obstruction wherein there exists a reasonable possibility of imminent or immediate danger or harm to the public health, safety or welfare, or to any individual.
(e) Hazardous Condition. “Hazardous condition” means any condition in which it is reasonably foreseeable that a hazardous substance, as defined in this chapter, may be stored, handled, transported or used in such a manner as to proximately cause substantial personal injury or substantial illness as a result of such reasonably foreseeable handling, transportation, use or storage.
(f) Hazardous Substance. “Hazardous substance” means and includes any toxic, radioactive, flammable, corrosive or otherwise dangerous chemical, poison, gas, element, mineral or other substance or combination or mixture of substances.
(g) Nuisance. “Nuisance” means anything unwholesome, dangerous, offensive or unhealthy, which constitutes a menace to the health and safety of the public, or any structure which, due to a structural defect or dilapidation, has become dangerous to life or property.
“Nuisance” includes, but is not limited to:
(1) Unsanitary disposal of trash, garbage, debris, construction wastes or compost;
(2) Unburied dead animals;
(3) The accumulation of water causing mosquito or other vector breeding or proliferation;
(4) Rodent or insect infestation;
(5) The accumulation of bees, fowl, bats, wasps or other venomous pests or animals in such a manner as to create a condition that may be injurious to the public health or safety;
(6) Hazards, such as open excavations, open wells, pits, trees or parts thereof in danger of falling, discarded refrigerators and freezers with doors attached, unsecured vacant structures or habitation for bats, wasps or other venomous pests;
(7) Allowing bird infestation within a dwelling or bird roosts accompanied by droppings in such quantities that create conditions conducive to an unhealthful or disease causing condition; and
(8) Maintaining a property in such a manner that it creates conditions conducive to rodent harborage and is an annoyance or potential health hazard to neighbors.
(h) Obstruction. “Obstruction” means any wharf, pier, piling, bulkhead, bridge or any other structure or vessel, or any collection of timber, silt or debris caused by such wharf, pier, piling, bulkhead, bridge, structure or vessel, which endangers the public health or safety of other persons, or which constitutes an obstruction or hazard to the lawful use of the waters in or adjoining the County.
(i) Owner. “Owner” means and includes both the owner or part owner of property on which the hazardous condition, nuisance or obstruction is located, and the occupant or lessee of such property if the property is leased, where such occupant or lessee is responsible, in whole or in part, for creating or maintaining the hazardous condition, nuisance or obstruction. The legal owner of such property shall, in all events, be responsible for the cost of removing, repairing, abating or obviating such hazard, nuisance or obstruction, and, where applicable, a lessee or occupant shall share mutual responsibility with the owner for such costs.
(j) Person. “Person” means and includes any individual, partnership, firm or corporation.
(Ord. 85-08. Passed 5-20-85.)