(A) Enforcement. It shall be the duty of the Chief of Police, the Fire Chief, and the Building Inspector to enforce those provisions of this chapter that come within the jurisdiction of their respective offices and they shall make periodic inspections and inspections upon complaint to ensure that such provisions are not violated. No action shall be taken under this section to abate a public nuisance unless the officer shall have inspected, or caused to be inspected, the premises where the nuisance is alleged to exist and have satisfied himself or herself that a nuisance does in fact exist.
(B) Summary abatement.
(1) Notice to owner. If the inspecting officer shall determine that a public nuisance exists within the village and that there is great and immediate danger to the public health, safety, peace, morals, or decency, the Village President may direct the Chief of Police to serve notice on the person causing, permitting, or maintaining such nuisance or upon the owner or occupant of the premises where such nuisance is caused, permitted, or maintained and to post a copy of said notice on the premises. Such notice shall direct the person causing, permitting, or maintaining such nuisance or the owner or occupant of the premises to abate or remove such nuisance within 24 hours and shall state that unless such nuisance is so abated, the village shall cause the same to be abated and will charge the cost thereof to the owner, occupant, or person causing, permitting, or maintaining the nuisance, as the case may be.
(2) Abatement by village. If the nuisance is not abated within the time provided or if the owner, occupant, or person causing the nuisance cannot be found, the officer having the duty of enforcement shall cause the abatement or removal of such public nuisance.
(C) Abatement by court action. If the inspecting officer shall determine that a public nuisance exists on private premises, but that the nature of such nuisance is not such as to threaten great and immediate danger to the public health, safety, peace, morals, or decency, he or she shall serve notice on the person causing or maintaining the nuisance and the owner of the property to remove the same within ten days. If such nuisance is not removed within ten days, he or she shall report such fact to the Village President who may direct the Village Attorney to commence an action in Circuit Court for the abatement of the nuisance.
(D) Other methods not excluded. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as prohibiting the abatement of public nuisances by the village or its officials in accordance with the laws of the state, nor as prohibiting an action to be commenced in the Circuit Court seeking a forfeiture as provided in § 90.99.
(E) Cost of abatement. In addition to any other penalty imposed by this chapter for the erection, contrivance, creation, continuance, or maintenance of a public nuisance, the cost of abating a public nuisance by the village shall be collected as a debt from the owner, occupant, or person causing, permitting, or maintaining the nuisance, and if notice to abate the nuisance has been given to the owner, such cost shall be assessed against the real estate as a special charge.
(Prior Code, § 10.07) (Ord. 4-99, passed 11-11-1999)