(A) All commercial premises shall be maintained in a state of good repair that prevents further decay from wind, rain and external weather and secures the building from any unauthorized admittance from humans, animals or birds. All commercial premises shall be free of all nuisances and any hazards to the safety of occupants, customers or other persons utilizing the premises or to pedestrians and/or vehicles passing thereby.
(B) Without limitation of the foregoing requirement, the existence of any of the following conditions shall be deemed to be a violation of this section and must be corrected.
(1) Interior walls or vertical studs which seriously list, lean or buckle, to such an extent as to render the building unsafe;
(2) Supporting member or members which show 33% or more damage or deterioration, or non-supporting; non-supporting members or enclosing or outside walls, or covering which shows 50% or more of damage or deterioration;
(3) Floors or roofs which have improperly distributed loads, which are overloaded or which have insufficient strength to be reasonably safe for the purpose used;
(4) Such damage by fire, wind or other causes as to render the building unsafe;
(5) Dilapidation, decay, unsanitary conditions or disrepair, which is dangerous to the health, safety and welfare of the occupants or other people in the city;
(6) Inadequate facilities for egress to such an extent that there does not exist, at a minimum, sufficient operable doors that the building can be entered safely and exited in the same manner in case of fire or panic;
(7) Defects significantly increasing the hazards of fire, accident or other calamities;
(8) Lack of adequate ventilation, light, heating or sanitary facilities to such extent as to endanger the health, safety or general welfare of the occupants or other residents of the city;
(9) Lack of proper electrical, heating or plumbing facilities required by this subchapter which constitutes a health or a definite safety hazard. If the electrical, heating or plumbing facilities are in such a condition that the service to those facilities needs to be discontinued to protect the general public, then the Chief Code Enforcement Officer shall be authorized to notify the appropriate official to disconnect service and that the service shall not be reconnected until the building has been reinspected and cleared of all violations. Temporary service connections may be permitted to allow for construction and/or cleaning;
(10) Any violation of the City Fire Prevention Code which constitutes a condition which is unsafe and especially dangerous to life;
(11) Buildings and environs shall be kept clear of accumulations of garbage, trash or rubbish which creates health and sanitation problems. All garbage and solid waste shall be in approved containers or stored in a safe and sanitary way;
(12) Flammable, combustible, explosive or other dangerous or hazardous materials shall be stored in a manner approved for such materials and consistent with the City Fire Prevention Code;
(13) The buildings and environs shall be kept free of loose and insufficiently anchored overhanging objects, which constitute a danger of falling on persons or property;
(14) The environs shall be kept free of insufficiently protected holes, excavations, breaks, projections, obstructions and other such dangerous impediments on and around walks, driveways, parking lots, alleyways and other areas which are accessible to and generally used by persons on or around the premises;
(15) The building and environs surfaces shall be kept clear of cracked or broken glass, loose shingles, loose wood, crumbling stone or brick, loose or broken plastic or other dangerous objects or similar hazardous conditions. Exterior surfaces shall be maintained in such material or treated in such a manner as to prevent deterioration, and repaired or replaced with like or similar material according to its original use;
(16) The building and environs shall be kept free of objects and elements protruding from building walls, roofs and environs which are unsafe or not properly secured, or which can create a hazard, such as abandoned electrical boxes and conduits, wires, sign brackets and other brackets and similar objects;
(17) All chimneys, flues and vent attachments thereto shall be maintained structurally sound. Chimneys, flues, gas vents or other draft-producing equipment which are in use shall provide sufficient draft to develop the rated output of the connected equipment, shall be structurally safe, durable, smoke-tight and capable of withstanding the action of flue gases;
(18) All exterior porches, landings, balconies, stairs and fire escapes shall be provided with banisters or railings properly designed and maintained to minimize the hazard of falling, and the same shall be kept structurally sound, in good repair and free of defects;
(19) All cornices shall be made structurally sound. Rotten or weakened portions shall be repaired and/or replaced. All exposed wood shall be treated or painted;
(20) Gutters and down-spouts shall be replaced or repaired as necessary and shall be appropriately located so as not to cause a hazard to pedestrians, vehicular traffic or property;
(21) Attached and unattached accessory structures shall not cause a nuisance or safety hazard, and shall be maintained in a state of good repair;
(22) Advertising sign structures, attached or freestanding awnings, marquees and their supporting members and other similar attachments and structures shall be maintained in good repair and shall not cause a nuisance or safety hazard to the occupants, pedestrians or other residents of the city;
(23) Walls, partitions, supporting members, sills, joists, rafters or other structural members shall not list, lean or buckle, shall not be rotted, deteriorated or damaged, and shall not have holes or cracks which might admit rodents;
(24) Floors or roofs shall have adequate supporting members and strength to be reasonably safe for the purpose used and shall not leak;
(25) Foundations, foundation walls, piers or other foundation supports shall not be deteriorated or damaged;
(26) Interior steps, railings, landings, porches or other parts or appurtenances shall be maintained in such condition that they will not fail or collapse;
(27) All plumbing fixtures and pipes shall meet the standards of the Plumbing Code and shall be maintained in a state of good repair and in good working order;
(28) All electrical fixtures, receptacles, equipment and wiring shall be maintained in a state of good repair, safe, capable of being used and installed in accordance with the Electric Code;
(29) Every supplied facility, piece of equipment or utility which is required under this subchapter or the Building Code for occupancy or use shall be so constructed or installed that it will function safely and effectively, and shall be maintained in satisfactory working condition;
(30) Adequate facilities for egress in case of fire or panic shall be provided and shall remain free from obstructions at all times for such purposes;
(31) All windows must be tight-fitting and have sashes of proper size and design, and free from rotten wood, broken joints or broken or loose mullions;
(32) All windows shall be maintained free of broken or cracked glass that could be in danger of failing or shattering;
(33) All openings originally designed as windows, doors, loading docks or other means of egress or ingress shall be maintained as such, unless the Chief Code Enforcement Officer specifically approves the closing and the materials being used to close the openings. If an opening is temporarily closed by boarding to secure the building, the boarding shall be trim fit, sealed to prevent water intrusion and painted or stained to properly conform with the other exterior portions of the building; and
(34) All yards and environs shall be properly graded and maintained so as to obtain thorough drainage and so as to prevent the accumulation of stagnant water.
(Code 2019, § 4-11.4) (Ord. passed 6-27-2011) Penalty, see § 150.999