DECATUR COUNTY

 

 

NUISANCE PROHIBITED It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, corporation or other entity to cause, permit, maintain, or allow the creation or maintenance of a nuisance, as defined or more specifically described in this Ordinance.

 

PROVISIONS FOR SPECIFIC NUISANCES

 

Animals -  In addition to the animal nuisance policies in this ordinance, further policies are set forth in the Animal Control Ordinance, adopted by the Decatur County Board of Commissioners on October 14, 2008.

 

Abandoned Vehicles - It shall be unlawful to keep or maintain any abandoned vehicles as defined by this Ordinance, and any abandoned vehicle is hereby declared to be a public nuisance and shall be abated as provided in this Ordinance.

 

Junk Yards -  Junk yards shall be required to keep all junk and junked vehicles a minimum of ten (10) feet from any property line at all points and for this area to be fenced with no portion of the fencing to be closer than ten (10) feet to the property line. Fencing may be substituted by use of natural vegetation, landscaping, planting, object, opaque fences, or other appropriate means, including relocating inventory on site to utilize an existing natural screen or screenable portion of the site to obstruct the junk vehicles from being visible from outside the junk yard. Properties

 

Standards for Determining Fitness for Dwellings - The County may determine that a dwelling is unfit for human habitation if it finds that conditions exist in a dwelling which are dangerous or injurious to the health, safety of the occupants of the dwelling, the occupants of neighboring dwelling or other residents of the County, including defects increasing the hazards of fire, accident or other calamities, lack of adequate ventilation, lack of sanitary facilities, dilapidation, disrepair, structural defects, uncleanliness, inconsistency with requirements of County enforced codes, or any other cause which would be detrimental to the health, safety of occupants dwelling therein.

 

Litter - Whenever any litter, which is dumped, deposited, thrown or left on public or private property or in a recycling facility in violation of this ordinance or of the rules and regulations promulgated under this ordinance, is discovered to contain any article or articles, including, but not limited to, letters, bills, publications or other writings which display the name of a person thereon in such a manner as to indicate that the article belongs or belonged to such person, it shall be a presumption that such person has violated this article. Violations to the Littering regulations of this ordinance shall be enforced in conjunction with already approved, adopted, and in-effect ordinances in consistency with O.C.G.A. § 41-2-17.

 

Enforcement of littering shall be consistent with O.C.G.A. § 40-6-248.1(d), when organic debris is being transported from farm or field to storage, or from storage to feedlot.

Prima Facie Case. Whenever litter is thrown, deposited, dropped or dumped from any motor vehicle, boat, airplane, trailer, wagon, wheelbarrow or other conveyance in violation of this ordinance or the rules and regulations promulgated by the Decatur County Board of Commissioners under this ordinance, it shall be prima facie evidence that the operator of the conveyance has violated this ordinance.

 

High Grass -  On residential properties, weeds or grass allowed to grow to a height of twelve (12) inches or greater on the average, except Bahia grass, or any accumulation of dead weeds, grass, or brush, that may provide safe harborage for rats, mice, snakes and/or other vermin, or cause brushfire, on property of less than five acres for which the primary use is not agriculture. In any event, no weed growing in one property, in any height, shall cross a property line entering another property or public right-of-way.