(A) Expectorating. No person shall expectorate on the ground or on the floor of any structure within the city limits (per Iowa Code § 364.1).
(B) Putting glass, and the like, on streets and sidewalks. No person shall throw or deposit on any street or sidewalk any glass bottle, glass, nails, tacks, wire, cans, trash, garbage, rubbish, litter, offal, or any other debris, or any other substance likely to injure any person, animal, or vehicle (per Iowa Code § 321.369).
(C) Carrying a concealed weapon. It shall be unlawful for any person to carry under such person’s clothes or concealed about their person or to be found in possession of any slingshot, knuckles of metal or other material, air gun or any other weapon other than a knife unless licensed by the State Department of Public Safety or having in possession a permit from the County Sheriff (per Iowa Code § 724.4).
(D) False alarms. No person shall give or cause to be given any false alarm of a fire, nor set fire to any combustible material, or cry or sound an alarm or by any other means without cause.
(E) Stench bombs.
(1) No person shall throw, drop, pour, explode, deposit, release, discharge, or expose any stench bomb or tear bomb, or any liquid, gaseous, or solid substance or matter of any kind that is injurious to persons or property, or that is nauseous, sickening, irritating, or offensive to any of the senses in, on or about a theater, restaurant, car, structure, place of business, or amusement, or any place of public assemblage, or attempt to do any of these acts, or prepare or possess such devices or materials with intent to do any of these acts.
(2) This provision shall not apply to duly constituted police, military authorities, or peace officers in the discharge of their duties, or to licensed physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other similar persons licensed under the laws of this state; nor to any established place of business or home having tear gas installed as a protection against burglary, robbery, or holdup, nor to any bank or other messenger carrying funds or other valuables.
(F) Discharging firearms, fireworks, and missiles. Per Iowa Code § 727.2:
(1) No person, firm, or corporation shall discharge or fire any cannon, gun, bomb, pistol, air gun, revolver, or firearm of any description, without first having obtained permission in writing from the Mayor, unless the person doing the same is an officer acting within the duties of his or her office. No person, firm, or corporation shall set off or burn firecrackers, torpedoes, sky rockets, roman candles, or other fireworks of like construction, or any fireworks containing any explosive or inflammable compound, or other device containing any explosive.
(2) The City Council may, upon application in writing, grant a permit for the display and use of fireworks by any organization or groups of individuals when such fireworks display will be handled by a competent operator.
(3) The City Council may, upon application in writing, grant a permit for the operation of a firing range in which the discharge of firearms for training, recreational, or competitive events would be allowed upon showing that the range would be under the direction of a competent organization, group, or individual.
(4) In the interest of public health and safety and at such times as approved by a police officer, the police, or their designee, may use firearms to control rodent or animal problems when it is evident that conventional control methods have not resolved the problem.
(5) It is unlawful for any person to willfully or carelessly, or negligently, throw any stick, stone, or other missile, whereby any person may or shall be injured or struck, or any window glass broken, or other property damaged, injured, or destroyed.
(6) It is unlawful for any person to discharge or throw any missile of any character from or by the use of any air gun, bow and arrow, slingshot, or from or by the use of any other thing or device.
(7) Nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit the use of blank cartridges for a show or the theatre, or for signal purposes in athletic sports or by railroads, or trucks, for signal purposes, or by a recognized military organization, and provided further that nothing in this section shall apply to any substance or composition prepared and used for medicinal or fumigation purposes.
(G) Possession of fireworks.
(1) The term FIREWORKS includes any explosive composition, or combination of explosives, substances, or articles prepared for the purpose of producing a visible or audible effect by combustion, explosion, or detonation and includes blank cartridges, firecrackers, torpedoes, sky rockets, Roman candles, or other fireworks of like construction and fireworks containing any explosive or flammable compound, or other device containing any explosive substance. The term FIREWORKS does not include gold star-producing sparklers on wires that contain no magnesium or chlorate or perchlorate, flitter sparklers in paper tubes that do not exceed one-eighth inch in diameter, toy snakes that contain no mercury, or caps used in cap pistols.
(2) The use of blank cartridges for a show or the theater, or for signal purposes in athletic events, or by railroads or trucks for signal purposes, or by recognized military organizations is exempt from this division (G).
(H) Abandoned refrigerators.
(1) No person shall place, or allow to be placed, any discarded, abandoned, unattended, or unused refrigerator, ice box, or similar container equipped with an air-tight door or lid, snap lock, or other locking device which cannot be released from the inside, in a location accessible to children, outside any building, dwelling, or within an unoccupied or abandoned building or dwelling, or other structure, under such person’s control without first removing the door, lid, snap lock, or other locking device from said icebox, refrigerator, or similar container.
(2) This provision applies equally to the owner of any such refrigerator, icebox, or similar container, and to the owner or occupant of the premises where the hazard is permitted to remain (per Iowa Code § 727.3).
(I) Impersonating an officer. No person shall falsely represent themself or falsely assume to be any law enforcement officer, judge or magistrate. It shall be unlawful to wear or adopt the uniform or insignia of any law enforcement officer on any street or public place (per Iowa Code § 718.2).
(J) Harassment of city employees.
(1) It shall be unlawful for any reason to willfully prevent, resist, or obstruct, or attempt to prevent, resist, or obstruct any city employee from the performance of any official duty.
(2) It shall be unlawful for any person to communicate by any means, any threat of bodily or property harm to any city employee or to any member of the employee’s family during the course of, or as a result of, the performance of any official duty by said city employee.
(K) Antenna and radio wires. No person shall allow, locate, or maintain any antenna wires, antenna supports, radio wires, or television wires to exist over any street, alley, highway, sidewalk, or public property (per Iowa Code § 364.12(2)).
(L) Barbed wire. No person shall install, allow to be installed, or use barbed wire without the consent of the City Council (per Iowa Code § 364.1).
(M) Playing in streets. No person shall coast, sled, or play games on streets or highways except in areas blocked off by the City Council for such purposes (per Iowa Code § 364.12).
(N) Littering prohibited.
(1) As used in this section, DISCARD means to place, cause to be placed, throw, deposit, or drop, and LITTER means any garbage, rubbish, trash, refuse, waste material, and yard waste.
(2) No person shall discard any litter within the city, except as provided and approved by the city, by collecting and discarding such litter in approved areas or approved receptacles.
(3) It is unlawful for any person to deposit or place any garbage, rubbish, trash, refuse, waste material or yard waste in any street, alley, lane, public place, private property, or body of water within the city.
(4) It is unlawful to place garbage, refuse, or yard waste on the private property of another, or into another garbage, refuse, or yard waste containers for the purpose of being hauled away.
(5) It is unlawful to permit garbage, yard waste, or refuse to remain for more than ten days on private property that is under one’s ownership, possession, or control. Yard waste may be retained more than ten days if composting is being completed.
(6) Notwithstanding the above provisions, garbage, refuse, or yard waste may be placed on the untraveled portions of streets, alleys, lanes, public places, or on private property to be hauled away, provided the garbage, refuse, or yard waste is kept in place in the manner prescribed in this division (N).
(Prior Code, § 3-1-5) (Ord. 03-04, passed 9-9-2003) Penalty, see § 131.99