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Wood used as a fuel source for internal heat via fireplace or other wood burning heating source and/or recreational fires, may only be stacked in side and rear yards, and shall not be stacked in the front yard.
(Prior Code, § 150.091) (Ord. 08-003, passed 4-22-2008; Ord. 2022-03, passed 5-24-2022) Penalty, see § 10.99
No person may occupy, or let to another for occupancy, any dwelling or dwelling unit which does not comply with all of the following.
(A) Sump pumps.
(1) Purpose. The discharge of water from roofs, surfaces, ground water sump pumps, footing tile, swimming pools, or other flow of precipitation into the city system results in flooding and overloading of the sanitary sewer system. When this water is discharged into the sanitary sewer system, it is treated at the sewage treatment plant, resulting in very large and needless expenditures. The City Council, therefore, finds it in the best interest of the city to prohibit such discharges.
(2) Discharge prohibited. No water from any roof, surface, ground water sump pump, footing tile, swimming pool, or other flow of storm water shall be discharged into the sanitary sewer system. Dwellings and other buildings and structures which require, because of infiltration of water into basements, crawl spaces, and the like, a sump pump discharge system, may have a permanently installed discharge line which shall not at any time discharge water into the sanitary sewer system. A permanent installation shall be one which provides for year round discharge capability to either the outside of the dwelling, building, or structure, or is connected to city storm sewer or discharge through the curb and gutter to the street. Inside piping shall be rigid pipe with fixed joints, PVC, or equivalent.
(3) Disconnection. Before December 31, 1999, any person, firm, or corporation having a roof surface, ground water sump pump, footing tile, or swimming pool now connected and/or discharging into the sanitary sewer system shall be disconnected from the sanitary sewer and redirected in an effective, professional manner. Unless inspected prior to then, they may have 45 days to make the disconnection.
(4) Inspection. Every person owning improved real estate that discharges into the city’s sanitary sewer system shall allow an employee of the city or a designated representative of the city to inspect the buildings to confirm that there is no sump pump or other prohibited discharge into the sanitary sewer system. In lieu of having the city inspect his, her, or their property, any person may furnish a certificate from a licensed plumber certifying that his, her, or their property is in compliance with this chapter.
(5) Correction period; reinspection. Properties which fail during the first inspection shall be re-inspected within 45 days to allow corrections to be completed. If property fails the re-inspection, the $100 per month surcharge shall be imposed on every sewer bill until compliance is achieved.
(6) Future inspections. Each sump pump or sump pump basket installation identified will be re-inspected periodically.
(7) New construction. All new dwellings with sumps for which a building permit is issued after adoption of this chapter, shall have a pump and shall be piped to the outside of the dwelling, in accordance with this chapter, before a certificate of occupancy is issued.
(8) Surcharge. A surcharge of $100 per month is hereby imposed on every sewer bill mailed, after a 30-day grace period following inspection or confirmed attempt at inspection, to property owners who are not in compliance with this chapter or who have refused to allow their property to be inspected to determine if there is compliance. All properties found during periodic re-inspection to have violated this chapter will be subject to the $100 per month surcharge for all months between the two most recent inspections.
(9) Winter discharge. The City Manager’s office is authorized to issue a permit to allow a property owner to discharge surface water into the sanitary sewer system. The permit shall authorize such discharge only from November 15 to March 15 and a property owner is required to meet at least one of the following criteria in order to obtain a permit.
(a) The freezing of the surface water discharge from the sump pump or footing drain is causing a dangerous condition, such as ice buildup or flooding, on either public or private property.
(b) The property owner has demonstrated that there is a danger that the sump pump discharge pipes will freeze up and result in either failure or damage to the sump pump unit or cause basement flooding.
(c) The water being discharged from the sump pump or footing drain cannot be readily discharged into a storm drain or other acceptable drainage system.
(B) Manual and automatic check valves. Check valves if necessary to prevent sewer back-flow. Prior to the closing of the sale of a dwelling, the seller shall request that a sanitary sewer line to the main street line be inspected for manual and automatic check valves. If the Compliance Officer determines that both manual and automatic check valves are necessary to prevent back-flow, the situation must be corrected before the dwelling is considered in compliance to be sold.
(Prior Code, § 150.093) (Ord. 08-003, passed 4-22-2008)
No person may occupy or let to another for occupancy any dwelling or dwelling unit which does not comply with the following.
(A) Fence maintenance. Fences may consist only of metal, wood, masonry, or other decay resistant material, maintained in good condition both in appearance and in structure, solely on the owner’s property, with all wood material other than decay resistant varieties with paint or other preservatives. Painting is required if 25% or more of the exterior surface is unpainted or determined by the Compliance Official to be paint blistered, and repair is required if 25% or more of the exterior surface of the pointing of any brick, block, or stone wall is loose or has fallen out. Posts and framework must face the owner’s property, with the finished material facing the street or adjacent property.
(B) Accessory structure maintenance. Painting is required if 25% or more of the exterior surface is unpainted or determined by the Compliance Official to be paint blistered, the surface must be painted and repair is required. If 25% or more of the exterior surface of the pointing of any brick, block, or stone wall is loose or has fallen out.
(C) Grading and drainage. Every yard, court, passageway, and other portions of the premises must be graded and drained so as to be free of standing water. Draining cannot impact neighboring properties as specified in § 154.177(H).
(D) Unit below grade. No space located more than four feet below grade may be used as a habitable room of a dwelling unless approved by the Building Official.
(E) Yard cover. Every yard of premises on which a dwelling stands must be covered by lawns and/or ground cover of vegetation, gardens, hedges, shrubbery, or related decorative materials and must be maintained. Once an area has been converted to turf grass, the land owner shall not allow the turf grass to exceed the height of six inches or be allowed to go to seed. No land owner may permit or maintain on the land any growth of weeds, grass, brush, or other rank vegetation to exceed the height of six inches, any accumulation of dead weeds, grass or brush, or any noxious weeds or plants as defined by the State Department of Agriculture. Gardens (pollinator, vegetable, flower, rock, and the like) are permitted types of yard cover, and must be maintained and not encroach on other property or the right-of-way.
(1) Any natural or native grass vegetation exceeding six inches shall not be any closer to a fire source than 25 feet.
(2) Setback requirements for surfaces covered by native vegetation and/or pollinator gardens shall be a minimum of three feet from a side yard property line. No vegetative growth greater than 12 inches in height five feet from any public roadway adjacent to the front yard, and for corner houses, a public roadway adjacent to the side yard.
(3) Exemptions; natural habitat.
(a) All private lands designated by the Council as natural habitat shall be exempt from this division (E).
(b) All public lands designated in the city’s Comprehensive Plan as natural habitat shall be exempt from this division (E).
(F) Composting. Composting is permitted only if:
(1) It is conducted in enclosed containers not over five feet in height with an aggregate volume of not more than 100 cubic feet, made of durable material such as wood, block, or sturdy metal fencing located at least five feet from lot lines and no closer than 20 feet from any habitable building, other than the resident’s own home, and no closer than two feet from any alley;
(2) Only organic yard materials, such as grass clippings, leaves, flowers, weeds, sawdust, wood ash, plant trimmings, straw, and commercial composting material, are put in the compost containers;
(3) No meat, bones, fat, oils, dairy products, or other kitchen wastes, whole branches, logs, plastics, synthetic fibers, human or pet wastes, or diseased plants are put in the containers; and
(4) Composting is managed to minimize odor and promote effective composition.
(G) Trees and brush. Trees and brush must be trimmed so as not to interfere with public walkway or right-of-way access or driving sightlines.
(H) Discontinuance of service or facilities. No owner, operator, or occupant may cause any service, facility, equipment, or utility required under this chapter to be removed from, shut off or discontinued, for any occupied dwelling, except for temporary emergencies and temporary interruptions necessary for repairs or alterations.
(I) Dumpsters. Dumpsters are permitted for no more than 120 days in a calendar year, or for the duration of an associated building permit, whichever is longer, and must be maintained in good repair and appearance. The height of the materials in the dumpster shall not exceed the height of the dumpster. No dumpster shall be placed closer than five feet from any side or rear property line.
(J) Flexible and compact dumpsters. A flexible dumpster or compact dumpster, as defined by the chapter, may be placed and used on a property subject to the following requirements.
(1) No liquid waste shall be placed into a flexible dumpster or compact dumpster for disposal. Only rubbish that is of a solid physical form or matter shall be placed or disposed into the flexible dumpster or compact dumpster, such as construction or demolition debris, discarded household goods or wares, cardboard or packaging waste, or the like.
(2) A flexible dumpster or compact dumpster shall not exceed a five cubic yard capacity.
(3) No flexible dumpster or compact dumpster shall be placed within the roadway surface of any street and shall be located behind the street curb. No flexible dumpster or compact dumpster shall be placed within or as to block any portion of a sidewalk, path, or trail.
(4) Flexible or compact dumpsters shall be placed no closer than five feet from any side or rear property line.
(5) No flexible dumpster or compact dumpster shall be placed within 15 feet of a water/fire hydrant.
(6) No flexible dumpster or compact dumpster shall remain on a property more than 14 days from the date it was placed outdoors at the property. The flexible dumpster or compact dumpster shall be collected by a waste hauler or otherwise removed within one week of the container being filled to its capacity.
(7) No more than two flexible or compact dumpsters shall be kept on any property at any one time, nor may any individual residential property keep such flexible dumpsters or compact dumpsters for more than 120 days in any calendar year.
(8) All rubbish shall be completely and securely placed within the container; no material shall be sticking out or exceeding above the top of the container sides. No rubbish placed in the container shall exceed outside the container beyond the plane of the street curb line. It is the responsibility of the property owner/occupant to ensure any refuse that falls or is blown out of the container is promptly collected/picked up and properly stored as any refuse is required to be stored.
(Prior Code, § 150.094) (Ord. 08-003, passed 4-22-2008; Ord. 2022-03, passed 5-24-2022; Ord. 2023-01, passed 7-11-2023) Penalty, see § 10.99
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