(1) "Approved" means approved by the Property Maintenance Enforcement Officer.
(2) "Basement" means that portion of a building that is partly or completely below grade.
(3) "Commercial Structure" means a multi-family structure containing four (4) or more residential units, or any other structure intended for a non-residential business purpose.
(4) "Condemn" means to adjudge unfit for occupancy.
(5) "Detached" means a condition where a structural element is physically disconnected from another.
(6) "Deterioration" means a condition where structural elements have weakened, disintegrated, corroded, rusted or decayed and have lost their effectiveness.
(7) "Exterior Property" means the open space on the premises and on adjoining property under the control of the owner of the premises.
(8) "Garbage" means the animal or vegetable waste resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking and consumption of food.
(9) "Guard" means a building component or a system of building components located at or near the open sides of elevated walking surfaces to minimize the possibility of a fall from the walking surface to a lower level.
(10) "Hardware Cloth" means wire screen of such thickness and spacing as to afford reasonable protection against the entrance of rats.
(11) "Health Commissioner" means the person appointed to hold the office in a general health district or city health district pursuant to Ohio Revised Code Section 3709.11 or 3709.14, or the Health Commissioner's designee.
(12) "Hot tub" means any private pool with a capacity of less than 1,000 gallons that is typically operated at a temperature greater than ninety degrees Fahrenheit for recreational or nonmedical uses.
(13) "Imminent Danger" means a condition which could cause serious or life-threatening injury or death at any time.
(14) "Infestation" means the presence of insects, rats, vermin or other pests within or contiguous to a structure or premises.
(15) "Inoperable Motor Vehicle" means any motor vehicle which meets one of the following requirements:
A. It does not display a valid license plate and is in either wrecked, partially wrecked, dismantled, partially dismantled or in discarded condition, or is incapable of being driven; or
B. It is wrecked, partially wrecked, dismantled, partially dismantled or in discarded condition, or is incapable of being driven and has remained in such condition for a continuous period of ten days.
(17) "Noxious Weeds" means any weed prone to prolific and invasive growth, including, but not limited to thistles, jimson weed, burdock, ragweed and cocklebur.
(18) "Occupancy" means the purpose for which a building or portion thereof is utilized or occupied.
(19) "Occupant" means any individual living or sleeping in a building, or having possession of a space within a building.
(20) "Owner" means the person or firm having legal or equitable interest in the property; or recorded in the official records of Knox County as having title to the property, including the guardian of the estate any such person, and the executor or administrator of the estate of such person if ordered to take possession of real estate by a court. In the case of a non-residential leased building where a clause in the lease makes the lessee responsible for maintenance and repairs, the lessee shall be considered to be the owner.
(Ord. 2014-02. Passed 3-24-14.)
(21) "Permit bond" means funds to protect consumers from harm and that guarantee businesses will adhere to provisions and requirements set forth in the Codified Ordinances and associated rules that are enforced by the City Engineer or his designee relating to the demolition of structures within the City. (Ord. 2020-37. Passed 11-23-20.)
(22) "Person" means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association.
(23) "Pest Elimination" means the control and elimination of insects, rodents, vermin or other pests by eliminating their harborage places; by removing or making inaccessible materials that serve as their food or water; and by other approved pest elimination methods.
(24) "Premises" means a lot, plot or parcel of land, easement or public way, including any structures thereon.
(25) "Private swimming pool" means a swimming pool used only by the owner of the pool and his invitees as an additional accessory use at a private residence.
(26) "Private wading pool" means a wading pool used only by the owner of the pool and his invitees.
(27) "Property Maintenance Enforcement Officer" means the city official who is charged with the administration and enforcement of this ordinance.
(28) "Public way" means any street, alley or similar parcel of land essentially unobstructed from the ground to the sky, which is deeded, dedicated or otherwise permanently appropriated to the public for public use.
(29) "Rat harborage" means any condition which provides shelter or protection for rats, thus favoring their multiplying and continued existence in, under, or outside a structure of any kind.
(30) "Rat inhibitors" means a form of rat-proofing to prevent the ingress of rats into or under buildings or other structures from the exterior, or from one building or structure to another. It consists essentially of the closing of all openings in the exterior walls, ground or first floors, basements and foundations that may be reached by rats from the ground, by climbing or by burrowing. Rat stoppage is performed by use of concrete, sheet metal, hardware cloth or other types of rat-proofing material impervious to rat gnawing and approved by the Health Commissioner.
(Ord. 2014-02. Passed 3-24-14.)
(31) "Residential Structure" means all single-family, condominium dwelling units, mobile home units outside of a mobile home park, two-family duplex properties, and three-family triplexes up to a footprint of 6,000 square feet in total or any other accessory structure(s) that are walled or roofed.
(Ord. 2020-37. Passed 11-23-20.)
(32) "Rodent" means rats, mice, or related species.
(33) "Rubbish" or "Solid Waste" means combustible and noncombustible waste materials, other than "Garbage"; including the residue from the burning of wood, coal, coke and other combustible materials, paper, rags, cartons, boxes, wood, excelsior, rubber, leather, tree branches, yard trimmings, tin cans, metals, mineral matter, glass, crockery and dust and other similar materials.
(34) "Strict Liability Offense" means an offense in which the prosecution in a legal proceeding is not required to prove criminal intent as a part of its case. It is enough to prove that the defendant either did an act which was prohibited, or failed to do an act which the defendant was legally required to do. (Ord. 2014-02. Passed 3-24-14.)
(35) "Structure" means anything constructed or erected, the use of which requires location on the ground, or attachment to something having a fixed location on the ground. Structures include, but are not limited to, buildings, mobile homes, walls, fences, and signs.
(Ord. 2019-07. Passed 1-28-19.)
(36) "Swimming pool" means an artificial improvement, fixture or structure, either permanent or portable, filled or capable of being filled with water to a depth of thirty or more inches at any point therein and used or designed to be used for swimming or recreational bathing.
(37) "Tenant" means a person, corporation, partnership of group, whether or not the legal owner of record, occupying a building or portion thereof as a unit.
(38) "Unsafe structure" means one that is dangerous to the life, health, property or safety of the public or the occupants of the structure by not providing minimum safeguards to protect or warn occupants in the event of fire, or because such structure contains unsafe equipment or is so damaged, decayed, dilapidated, structurally unsafe or of such faulty construction or unstable foundation, that partial or complete collapse is possible.
(39) "Unsafe equipment" means any boiler, heating equipment, electrical wiring or device, or other equipment on the premises or within the structure which is in such disrepair or condition that such equipment is a hazard to life, health, property or safety of the public or occupants of the premises or structure.
(40) "Ventilation" means the natural or mechanical process of supplying conditioned or unconditioned air to, or removing such air from any space.
(41) "Vermin" means noxious, mischievous or disgusting animals, including feral cats, raccoons, opossums and skunks.
(42) "Wading pool" means an artificial fixture, improvement or structure, either permanent or portable, filled or capable of being filled with water at any point therein to a depth of twelve or more inches and less than thirty inches and used or designed to be used for wading, swimming or other aquatic recreation.
(43) "Workmanlike" means executed in a skilled manner; generally plumb, level, square, in line, undamaged and without marring adjacent work.
(44) "Yard" means an open space on the same lot, or contiguous lots, with a structure.
(Ord. 2014-02. Passed 3-24-14.)