(A) The City Council hereby declares it to be the public policy of the city to keep the public streets, roads and highways open, and to prohibit any interference with drainage and road ditches and culverts within the city limits.
(B) For the purpose of this section, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
PUBLIC DRAINAGE FACILITY. Any ditch, culvert, drain pipe, sump, pumping station or discharge point, or drain tile which is a part of any public street, or which maintained by public funds of the city or the Commissioner’s Court of the county or any public drainage district or by the State Highway Department for any continuous consecutive period of time of five years or more, whether evidenced by any formal recorded designation or not.
PUBLIC STREET.
(a) Any street or roadway heretofore designated as a public street on any plat or subdivision which has been placed of record in the office of the County Clerk or which has been approved as a public street by any action by the City Council or which has been approved as a public road within the city limits by any action of the County Commissioner’s Court, or by any duly designated authority of the State Highway Department is hereby declared to be a PUBLIC STREET for purposes of this section.
(b) The term PUBLIC STREET shall also include any street or thoroughfare or passage way or alley which had been in general use by the general public, and open to the general public, and maintained by public funds of the city or the county or the State Highway Department for any continuous consecutive period of five years or more.
PUBLIC STREET DITCH. Any ditch or drainage structure adjacent to or appurtenant to any public street within the city limits.
(C) It shall be unlawful for any person willfully or intentionally to obstruct or injure or cause to be obstructed or injured in any manner whatsoever any public street, road or highway or any street or alley or any public street ditch or public drainage facility or any culvert, pipe or drain forming a part of any public street, public street ditch or public drainage facility within the city limits or any public bridge or causeway within the city.
(Ord. 1986-5, passed 12-16-1986) Penalty, see § 97.99