(a) If, upon inspection or investigation, the Chief of the Fire Prevention Bureau or a certified Fire Safety Inspector believes that the Ohio Fire Code or any order issued by the officer has been violated or a violation of Section 1501.02, Section 1501.03 or Section 1501.04 exists, he shall with reasonable promptness issue a citation to the responsible person by certified mail as
provided in subsection (e) hereof. Each citation shall be in writing and shall describe with particularity the nature of the violation, including a reference to the provision of the State Fire Code or order or provision of Section 1501.02, Section 1501.03 or Section 1501.04 alleged to have been violated, the penalty, if any, proposed to be assessed under Section 1501.99 and the date of the hearing as provided for in Section 1501.06. In addition, the citation shall fix a reasonable time for the abatement of the violation. In accordance with the Codified Ordinances of the City of Urbana, specifically Section 351.02 as applies to Section 1501.03 herein, the Parking Enforcement Officer and any full-time member of the Urbana Police Division or the Urbana Fire Division, may issue citations for violations of fire lane as established in this subsection. (Ord. 4139. Passed 7-10-01.)
(b) The Fire Chief may prescribe procedures for the issuance of a notice in lieu of a citation with respect to de minimis violations which have no direct or immediate relationship to safety or health.
(c) Each citation issued under this section, or a copy or copies thereof, shall be prominently posted by the responsible person, as prescribed in the Ohio Fire Code at or near each place a violation referred to in the citation occurs.
(e) Service of a citation shall be by one of the following methods:
(1) By delivering a copy of the notice to the person or legal entity to be served; or
(2) By leaving a copy of the notice at the usual residence of such person or usual place of business of such legal entity; or
(3) By certified mail, addressed to such person at his/her usual place of residence or legal entity at its usual place of business with instructions to forward, return receipt requested, provided that the certified envelope is not returned with an endorsement showing failure of delivery; or
(4) By ordinary mail addressed as in subsection (e)(3) hereof after a certified mail envelope is returned with an endorsement showing either that the certified mail envelope was refused or unclaimed and the ordinary mail envelope is not returned with an endorsement showing failure of delivery; or
(5) By publication once each week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in Champaign County when the name, usual place of residence or business or existence of such person or legal entity is unknown and cannot with reasonable diligence be ascertained or in the event all of the other methods in subsections (e)(1) through (4) hereof fail to effect delivery of the notice. (Ord. 3998. Passed 1-9-96.)