It shall be unlawful for any person to maintain or permit any nuisance within the city as defined, without limitation, as follows:

(a)   Filth, excrement, lumber, rocks, dirt, cans, paper, trash, metal or any other offensive or disagreeable thing or substance thrown or left or deposited upon any street, avenue, alley, sidewalk, park, public or private enclosure or lot whether vacant or occupied;

(b)   All dead animals not removed within 24 hours after death;

(c)   Any place or structure or substance which emits or causes any offensive, disagreeable or nauseous odors;

(d)   All stagnant ponds or pools of water;

(e)   All grass or weeds or other unsightly vegetation not usually cultivated or grown for domestic use or to be marketed or for ornamental purposes;

(f)   Abandoned iceboxes or refrigerators kept on the premises under the control of any person, or deposited on the sanitary landfill, or any icebox or refrigerator not in actual use unless the door, opening or lid thereof is unhinged, or unfastened and removed therefrom;

(g)   All articles or things whatsoever caused, kept, maintained or permitted by any person to the injury, annoyance or inconvenience of the public or of any neighborhood;

(h)   Any fence, structure, thing or substance placed upon or being upon any street, sidewalk, alley or public ground so as to obstruct the same, except as permitted by the laws of the city.

(K.S.A. 21-4106:4107; Code 2003)

The City Building Official shall be charged with the administration and enforcement of this Chapter and shall be known as the Enforcing Officer.

(Ord. 605; Code 2017)

The Enforcing Officer may inspect any premises upon receiving a complaint in writing from any person or as observed in person for any violations of this chapter. Upon making said inspections the enforcing officer shall make a written report of said findings.

(Ord. 605; Code 2017)

(a)   Whenever necessary to make an inspection of any building, structure or premises to determine if a nuisance exists, or whenever the public officer has cause to believe that there exists therein any condition which endangers the public health, the public officer is authorized to enter such building, structure or premises at all reasonable times to inspect the same and to exercise any power or authority or to perform any duty imposed upon the public officer under this code.

(b)   The authority granted to the public officer by subsection (a) of this section is subject to the following:

(1)   If the building, structure or premises is occupied, the public officer shall first present proper credentials, explain the purpose for which admittance is desired and demand entry.

(2)   If such property is unoccupied, the public officer shall first make a reasonable effort to locate the owner or other person having charge or control of the property, present proper credentials, explain the purpose for which admittance is desired and demand entry.

(3)   If the public officer is refused admission or cannot locate the owner or occupant, the public officer shall refrain from entering until authorized to do so by proper judicial authority.

(Code 2003; Code 2017)

(a)   The enforcing officer shall serve upon the owner, any agent of the owner of the property or any other person, corporation, partnership or association found to be in violation of section 8-201 an order stating the violation. The order must also state that if the stated violation is not abated within 10 days (or as otherwise stated), of the date the order is received by the owner or owner’s agent, the City may take whatever action is necessary to abate the violation. The order shall be served on the owner or agent of such property by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by personal service. If the property is unoccupied and the owner is a nonresident, then by mailing the order by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the last known address of owner.

(b)   If the owner or agent of the owner of the property has failed to accept delivery or otherwise failed to effectuate receipt of the notice or order sent pursuant to this section during the preceding twenty-four month period, the enforcing officer of the city may provide notice of the issuance of any further orders to abate or remove a nuisance from such property or provide notice of the order by such methods including, but not limited to, door hangers, conspicuously posting notice of such order on the property, personal notification, telephone communication or first class mail. A notice or order sent pursuant to this section by first class mail is deemed received by the owner upon placement in the mail. If the property is unoccupied and the owner is a nonresident, notice provided by this section shall be given by telephone communication or first class mail.

(K.S.A. 12-1617e; Code 2003; Ord. 605; Code 2017)

The order shall state the condition(s) which is (are) in violation of section 8-201. The notice shall also inform the person, corporation, partnership or association that

(a)   He, she or they shall have 10 days from the date of serving the order to abate the condition(s) in violation of section 8-201; or

(b)   He, she or they have 10 days from the date of serving the notice to request a hearing before the governing body of the matter as provided by section 8-209;

(c)   Failure to abate the condition(s) or to request a hearing within the time allowed may result in prosecution as provided by section 8-207 and/or abatement of the condition(s) by the city as provided by section 8-208.

(Code 2003)

Should the person, corporation, partnership or association fail to comply with the order to abate the nuisance or request a hearing the enforcing officer may file a complaint in the municipal court of the city against such person, corporation, partnership or association and upon conviction of any violation of provisions of section 8-201, be fined in an amount not to exceed $100 or be imprisoned not to exceed 30 days or be both fined and imprisoned. Each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues after notice has been served shall constitute an additional or separate offense.

(Code 2003)

In addition to or as an alternative to prosecution as provided in section 8-207, the enforcing officer may proceed to abate all violations in a timely manner after serving an order as prescribed in section 8-205 without further notice.

(Ord. 605; Code 2017)

If a hearing is requested within the 10 day period as provided in section 8-206, such request shall be made in writing to the governing body. Failure to make a timely request for a hearing shall constitute a waiver of the person’s right to contest the findings of the enforcing officer before the governing body. The hearing shall be held by the governing body as soon as possible after the filing of the request therefore, and the person shall be advised by the city of the time and place of the hearing at least five days in advance thereof. At any such hearing, the person may be represented by counsel, and the person and the city may introduce such witnesses and evidence as is deemed necessary and proper by the governing body. The hearing need not be conducted according to the formal rules of evidence. Upon conclusion of the hearing, the governing body shall record its determination of the matter by means of adopting a resolution and serving the resolution upon the person in the manner provided in section 8-205.

(Ord. 605; Code 2017)

If the city abates or removes the nuisance pursuant to section 8-208, the city shall give notice to the owner or his or her agent by certified mail, return receipt requested, of the total cost of the abatement or removal incurred by the city. The notice shall also state that the payment is due within 30 days following receipt of the notice. The city also may recover the cost of providing notice, including any postage, required by this section. The notice shall also state that if the cost of the removal or abatement is not paid within the 30-day period, the cost of the abatement or removal shall be collected in the manner provided by K.S.A. 12-1,115, and amendments thereto, or shall be assessed as special assessments and charged against the lot or parcel of land on which the nuisance was located and the city clerk, at the time of certifying other city taxes, shall certify the unpaid portion of the costs and the county clerk shall extend the same on the tax rolls of the county against such lot or parcel of land and it shall be collected by the county treasurer and paid to the city as other city taxes are collected and paid. The city may pursue collection both by levying a special assessment and in the manner provided by K.S.A. 12-1,115, and amendments thereto, but only until the full cost and applicable interest has been paid in full.

(Code 2003)