For the purposes of this chapter the following definitions shall apply:
(a) Public Nuisance. Any fence, wall, garage, shed, house, building, structure, tree, pole, smokestack or any excavation, basement, cellar, well, cistern or sidewalk subspace or part thereof shall be deemed a "public nuisance" if it by reason of the condition in which the same is permitted to be or remain, it endangers the health, life, limb or property, or causes any hurt, harm, inconvenience, discomfort, damage or injury to any one or more persons in the City in any one or more of the following particulars:
(1) By reason of being injurious to or a menace to the public health, safety or welfare;
(2) By reason of being a fire hazard;
(3) By reason of being unsafe for occupancy, or use on, in, upon, about or around the above premises;
(4) By reason of continued vacancy thereby resulting in lack of reasonable or adequate maintenance of structures and grounds and causing deterioration and blighting influence on nearby properties and thereby depreciating the enjoyment and use of the property in the immediate vicinity to such an extent that it is harmful to the community in which such structure is situated; or
(5) By reason of being unsanitary.
(b) Unsanitary. Any structure or building, or any portion thereof, used for human habitation shall be deemed to be in an unsanitary condition when:
(1) Any portion of such building is infected with a communicable disease, or has no toilet facilities as required by law or ordinance, or by reason of the known presence of sewer gas therein or thereon; or
(2) It is unfit for human habitation or in a condition dangerous or harmful to the lives or health of the occupants by reason of the inhabited portion of the house being damp or wet or in such lack of repair, or has such accumulation of dirt, filth, litter, refuse or other offensive or dangerous substances or liquids, or by reason of such defects in or lack of repair of or improper use of the drainage, plumbing or ventilation, or due to the existence on the premises of a nuisance or other condition as is likely to cause sickness among the occupants.
(c) Unsafe. All buildings or structures or any portion thereof which are structurally unsafe or not provided with adequate egress, or which constitute a fire hazard or are otherwise dangerous to human life, or which in relation to existing use constitute a hazard to health by reason of inadequate maintenance, dilapidation or obsolescence are "unsafe buildings".
(d) Owner. "Owner" or "owners" means the owner of record in the premises in fee or of a lesser estate therein, a mortgagee or vendee in possession, land installment contract vendee, assignee of the rents, receiver, executor, administrator, trustee, lessee or other person, firm or corporation in control of a building or their duly authorized agents. Any such person thus representing the owner shall be bound to comply with the provisions of this chapter to the same extent as if he were the owner.
(e) Building Inspectors "Building Inspectors" shall be the Street Department Supervisor, the Fire Chief, and the Zoning Inspector.
(Ord. 125-10. Passed 7-17-00.)