CITY OF BAINBRIDGE
Sec. 50-1. - Premises to be kept in sanitary condition; authority of Chief Marshal.
The Chief Marshal shall have the authority to clean and place in a sanitary condition all property within the corporate limits of the city, and the expenses incurred in cleaning such property shall be assessed against the real estate and collected as taxes are collected in the city; provided, however, that before the provisions of this section shall become effective, the Chief Marshal shall have a written notice tacked on the affected premises for ten (10) days, which notice shall require the owner to place the premises in a sanitary condition, and if at the expiration of the ten (10) days the premises have not been put in a good sanitary condition, then the Chief Marshal shall proceed as above allowed.
Sec. 50-2. – Maintenance of Exterior Structure.
The exterior of a structure shall be maintained in good repair, structurally sound and sanitary so as not to pose a threat to the public health, safety or welfare. (A-F)
Sec. 50-3. – Enforcement. Violations of Sec. 50-2 shall be abated not more than thirty (30) days from the violation date to abate the violations identified.
Sec. 50-18. - Property owners to maintain lots.
All persons owning improved or unimproved lots within the city are hereby required to keep and maintain such lots in a condition and manner so as not to jeopardize the public health and safety of the citizens of the city. It shall be the owner's duty to continuously keep cleaned, cleared, mowed and trimmed all such lots owned and possessed within the city.
Sec. 50-20. - Notice to cut grass/weeds.
It shall be unlawful for grass (excluding Bahiagrass) and weeds to exceed a height of ten (10) inches. It shall be the duty of the Chief Marshal to order the weeds or like growth prohibited by this article to be cut within ten (10) days, as determined by the Chief Marshal by posting upon the premises a notice in writing and serving upon the owner or person in possession a copy of the notice, or for nonresident owners, notification by mail.
Sec. 50-21. – General cleanliness of street margins
The owner and occupant of each lot within the city shall each be independently responsible for keeping all areas between their property lines and the edge of the street. These areas are to include from the edge of the pavement or from the back of the curb and gutter to the street right of way or the front, side or rear property line which is the same as the street right of way. These areas are to be kept clean and free from all garbage, refuse, filth, dirt, ashes, trash, rubbish and other offensive materials. The individual property owner shall also mow and otherwise perform grounds maintenance upon any utility strip or planting strip that lies between the edge of the pavement or the back of the curb and gutter and the street edge of any sidewalk that runs parallel with the street.
When the street right of way has been cleared to the property line, and that cleared street right of way area has been covered with grass or other similar ground cover, but the property fronting this street remains essentially undeveloped, whether that property is undisturbed woods, undisturbed former fields, or an area that has been graded, grassed and left fallow, the property owner has the responsibility to mow and perform grounds maintenance on the improved street right of way adjoining his property.
All traffic islands or median islands on all collector streets, marginal access streets, residential streets, residential loop streets, and cul-de-sacs in subdivisions, shall be mowed and shall have grounds maintenance performed by the homeowners association of the subdivision in which they are located. In the absence of a homeowners association the City of Bainbridge will perform the required maintenance.
Sec. 50-22. - Failure to comply with notice; abatement by city; costs; lien.
Upon the failure of the owner or tenant to cut and remove all weeds and like growth pursuant to the notice required by section 50-20 and 50-21, the City Manager, or his/her designee shall then order such cutting and removal to be done under the supervision of the Code Enforcement Officers, who shall render a written statement of the costs to the owner of property, or post the statement on the premises. If the cost is not paid to the city treasurer within 15 days, the city manager shall order the clerk to issue a fieri facias against the owner of such premises and against such premises for the amount, and the fieri facias shall be a lien against the premises and shall be enforced and collected, together with the cost of such collection, as fieri facias in favor of the city are enforced and collected.
Sec. 50-38. - Abandoned junk, vehicles, etc.—Prohibited.
It shall be unlawful for any person to place, leave unattended, discard or abandon any obsolete or nonfunctioning motor vehicle, appliance, machinery, equipment, junk or salvage material out-of-doors and in unenclosed areas upon any public or private land within the city. After receiving a notification of violation for obsolete or nonfunctioning vehicles property owners will have up to 10 days to remove the vehicle(s) and/or junk.
Sec. 50-39. - Same—Nuisance declared.
The maintenance, operation and allowing of junk or salvage material upon any private or public property within the city shall constitute a nuisance.
Sec. 50-41. - Notice of violation.
The Chief Marshal, or his/her designee shall notify the owner in possession of any land or property, in writing, of any violation of this article within the corporate limits of the city to abate such violation and
nuisance by removing the unlicensed junk or salvage material to another location, not inconsistent with this article, within ten (10) days of receipt of such notice.
Sec. 50-42. - Appeal from notice of violation.
A person receiving a written notice of a violation of Chapter 50 of the Bainbridge City Code may appeal to the Community Development Director within ten days by stating his reasons, in writing, as to why he is unable or should not be required to comply with the provisions of this article or as to why the same is not applicable to the situation in question. Such issues shall be heard and tried by the Community Development Director who shall decide the questions in issue according to the evidence submitted by the parties. Further appeal shall be before the City Manager or his/her designee within five (5) days of appeal denial from the Community Development Director. If there is still no conclusion, the next step is to take the matter to the Bainbridge Municipal Court for a ruling.
Sec. 66-3. - Unauthorized accumulations.
(a) Any unauthorized accumulation of garbage or trash on any premises is hereby declared to be a nuisance and is prohibited.
(b)It shall be unlawful for any occupant to accumulate any garbage or trash outside his building except in properly authorized bulk containers.
(c)Any unauthorized accumulation of solid waste on any premises is hereby declared to be a nuisance and is prohibited. Failure to remove any existing accumulation of solid waste within a reasonable time as may be fixed by written notice from the appropriate department shall be deemed a violation of this chapter.
Sec. 66-4. - Throwing trash on streets, etc.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to throw any garbage or trash of any kind from his yard or vacant lot, automobile or truck into the lanes and streets of the city.
(b) No person shall deposit, throw or place or cause to be deposited, thrown or placed into or upon any public square, street, alley or sidewalk, vacant lot or unoccupied premises of this city any paper, rags, shavings, trash, rubbish, chips, ashes, rotten fruit, vegetables, dead bodies, liquids or any thing which is or may become offensive or which may injure or damage any of the public squares, streets, alleys, sidewalks, vacant lots or unoccupied premises, or interfere with the free use and enjoyment of the same.
ARTICLE V. – Substandard/Unfit Buildings or Structures - see ordinance
HPC Ordinance – Sec 31 Failure to provide ordinary maintenance