Sec. 15-101. - Definitions.

For the purposes of this article, the following terms shall mean:

Business building shall mean any structure, whether public or private, regardless of the type of material used in its construction, located within the boundaries of the city that is adapted to occupancy for the transaction of business, whether vacant or occupied, for the rendering of professional services, for the display, sale or storage of goods, wares or merchandise or for the performance of work or labor, including hotels, rooming houses, beer parlors, office buildings, public buildings, stores, markets, restaurants, grain elevators, abattoirs, warehouses, workshops and factories, or any other structures not mentioned above.

Opening shall mean and refer to any opening in the foundation, side or walls of any business building, including the roof, chimney, eaves, grills, windows, sidewalk grates and sidewalk elevators, through which a rat may enter.

Premises shall include all business buildings, outhouses, sheds, barns, garages, docks, wharves, piers, grain elevators and abattoirs, whether public or private, and any and all other structures used in connection with the operation of any business building as defined in this section.

Rat harborage shall mean any condition found to exist under or in which rats may find shelter or protection, and shall include any defective construction which would permit the entrance of rats into any business building.

Rat-stoppage shall mean any form of ratproofing designed to prevent the ingress of rats into business buildings. It is essentially the closing or protecting of all openings in exterior or interior walls and foundation or grates in a sidewalk of business buildings with ratproof materials installed in such a manner as to prevent rats from gaining entrance.

(Code 1950, § 47-1; Code 1959, § 18-40)

Sec. 15-102. - Ratproofing new construction.

(a)

Any new construction coming within the purview of this article within the city shall be planned according to the provisions of division 2 of this article, and no permit shall be issued for such new buildings until such plans conform to such provisions.

(b)

It shall be unlawful for any person to construct, within the city, any business building, curb or farmers' market, unless such construction shall render the structure ratproof in accordance with the regulations prescribed by this article.

(c)

The director of building inspections is charged with the specific enforcement of this section.

(Code 1950, § 47-5; Code 1959, § 18-41)

Sec. 15-103. - Ratproofing existing construction.

The director of public health or his representative is authorized, for the purpose of eradicating any rat infestation, by written notice to order the owner, occupant, agent or any other person in custody of any rat-infested business building to protect such building by rat-stoppage as provided in division 2 of this article, regardless of the need for any remodeling of or repairs to such buildings otherwise; and further to order that such rat control methods be employed as may be deemed necessary by the director of public health or his representatives to maintain such building free from rats. Such written order shall specify the time, in no event less than fifteen (15) days, for completion of such work and improvements. Unless such work and improvements are completed in accordance with such written order by such person within the time so specified or within the time to which a written extension has been granted by the director of public health or his representative, such person shall be deemed guilty of an offense under the provisions of this article.

(Code 1950, § 47-6; Code 1959, § 18-42)

Sec. 15-104. - Inspections.

The director of public health or his representative is authorized to make frequent and unannounced inspections of existing business buildings within the city for the purpose of determining rat infestation, and to make inspections during the course of and upon completion of any new construction, repairs, remodeling or installation of rat-control measures to business buildings to ensure compliance with the provisions of this article. No person shall interfere with or refuse to permit such inspection.

(Code 1950, § 47-7; Code 1959, § 18-43)

Sec. 15-105. - Ratproofing to be approved.

The director of public health or his representative shall approve all materials used and the method of installation of ratproofing construction, repairs or remodeling.

(Code 1950, § 47-8; Code 1959, § 18-44)

Sec. 15-106. - Ingress and egress of rats.

(a)

Leaning objects against buildings. It shall be unlawful to permit fishing poles, ladders or any other object that a rat could climb on in order to reach the roof of any business building to lean against the side or walls of such business building.

(b)

Elevator shafts, etc. The owner of any business building shall protect elevator shafts, fire escapes and guy wires in such manner that rats will not be able to gain ingress into such building.

(c)

Adjacent trees and limbs. It shall be the duty of any person in charge of a business building to trim the branches of all trees extending over and against such building, and such branches shall be cut and trimmed, and kept trimmed and cut, so that no part of any branch or any part of such tree shall be closer than ten (10) feet to any business building. The tops of all trees shall be cut back ten (10) feet from a line extending perpendicularly from any exterior wall of a business building.

(Code 1950, § 47-9; Code 1959, § 18-45)

Sec. 15-107. - Harborage of rats.

(a)

Accumulations of garbage or rubbish. No garbage, rubbish, waste or manure shall be placed, left, dumped or permitted to accumulate or remain in any building or premises in the city so that the same shall or may afford food for or a harboring or breeding place for rats.

(b)

Accumulations of lumber, boxes, etc. It shall be unlawful for any person to permit any premises, improved or unimproved, or any open lot or alley in the city, to accumulate number, boxes, barrels, bricks or stones and similar materials that may be permitted to remain thereon and that may be used as a harborage by rats, unless the same shall be placed on open racks and elevated not less than eighteen (18) inches above the ground with a clear intervening space underneath, to prevent the harborage of rats.

(c)

Unlawful disposition of waste. It shall be unlawful for any person to dump or place on any land or on any waterway within the city any dead animal, butchers' offal, seafood or any waste vegetables, animal matter or any food products whatsoever.

(Code 1950, § 47-10; Code 1959, § 18-46)

Sec. 15-108. - Extermination of rats.

(a)

Traps. All storerooms, warehouses or other business buildings in the city shall be provided by the owner, occupant, agent or any other person in custody of such building, with one or more traps which shall be kept set and freshly baited at frequent intervals and maintained in good working condition, and shall be inspected daily, and any rat caught therein shall be killed, removed and disposed of daily in a manner acceptable to the director of public health, and such trap reset and rebaited.

(b)

Other methods. Rats may be destroyed also by such means other than trapping as are approved by the director of public health, or by any other authorized agency of the United States public health service or the state board of health. Rat burrows and other exterior harborage shall be treated under methods directed by the director of public health.

(c)

Closing buildings. When the director of public health shall find any building, structure or premises so heavily infested with rats as to result in his opinion in a present menace to public health, he shall have authority to close the same to any occupancy or use until such rats have been eradicated or while such rats are being eradicated.

(Code 1950, § 47-11; Code 1959, § 18-47)

Secs. 15-109—15-120. - Reserved.