[Added 5-7-2013 by Ord. No. 1344]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
CITY
St. Francis, Wisconsin.
COMPOSTING
The process of decaying organic matter, such as leaves, garden debris and grass clippings, in a confined area out of the public view, in a manner specified by the Health Officer/Public Health Administrator or designee.
GROUNDWATER
All water found beneath the surface of the City of St. Francis located in sand, gravel, lime rock or sandstone geological formations or any combinations of these formations.
HEALTH OFFICER/PUBLIC HEALTH ADMINISTRATOR
The public health professional responsible for environmental sanitation.
HUMAN HEALTH HAZARD
A substance, activity or condition that is known to have potential to cause acute or chronic illness or death if exposure to the substance, activity or condition is not abated.
IMMEDIATE HEALTH HAZARD
A condition which exists or has the potential to exist which should, in the opinion of the Health Officer/Public Health Administrator or designee, be abated or corrected immediately, or at least within a twenty-four-hour period, to prevent possible severe damage to human health and/or the environment.
PERSON
An individual, corporation, partnership or any other group acting as a unit.
POLLUTION
Contaminating or rendering unclean or impure the air, land or waters of the City, or making the same injurious to public health, harmful for commercial or recreational use or deleterious to fish, bird, animal or plant life.
PUBLIC NUISANCE
A thing, act, occupation, condition or use of property which shall continue for such length of time as to substantially injure or endanger the comfort, health, repose or safety of the public or in any way render the public insecure in life or in the use of property.
SOLID WASTE
Has the meaning specified in § 289.01(33), Wis. Stats.
STATE
State of Wisconsin.
STRUCTURE
A building or structure as defined in Chapter 198, Building Construction, of this Code.
TOXIC AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
Any chemical and/or biological material that has the potential to create a public health hazard.
A. 
Title. This article shall be referred to as the "City of St. Francis Human Health Hazard Ordinance."
B. 
Administration. This article shall be administered by the Health Officer/Public Health Administrator or designee. The Health Officer/Public Health Administrator or designee shall have the power to ensure compliance with the intent and purpose of this article by any means possible under the law.
C. 
Interpretation. The provisions of this article shall be interpreted to be minimum requirements and shall be liberally construed in favor of the City of St. Francis and shall not be deemed a limitation or repeal of any power granted by the Wisconsin Statutes.
This article is adopted pursuant to the authority granted by Chs. 251 and 254, Wis. Stats.
The purpose and intent of this article are to protect the public health, safety and general welfare and to maintain and protect the environment for the people of the City of St. Francis and to:
A. 
Prevent communicable diseases.
B. 
Prevent the continuance of human health hazards.
C. 
Prevent the continuance of public nuisances.
D. 
Assure that the City and state air quality standards are complied with.
E. 
Assure that insects and rodents do not create a human health hazard and/or health hazard.
F. 
Assure that surface water and groundwater meet City and state standards and regulations.
G. 
Assure that solid waste is handled, stored and disposed of according to City and state standards and regulations.
H. 
Assure that citizens are protected from hazardous, unhealthy or unsafe substances.
I. 
Provide for the administration and enforcement of this article and provide penalties for its violations.
The jurisdiction of this article shall include all air, land and water (both surface and ground) within the City of St Francis.
A. 
Written orders. Compliance with this article shall include compliance with written orders issued under this article or state health laws by the City of St. Francis Health Officer/Public Health Administrator or designee to abate and/or correct a human health hazard/public nuisance or bring any other situation or condition in noncompliance with this article in compliance.
B. 
Noncompliance. Noncompliance with this article and/or with a written order form the Health Officer/Public Health Administrator or designee shall be cause for enforcement actions under § 262-67 of this article.
A. 
General provisions. This article shall be interpreted, administered, and enforced by the City of St. Francis Health Officer/Public Health Administrator or designee.
B. 
Powers. The Health Officer/Public Health Administrator or designee shall have all the powers necessary to enforce the provisions of this article, including, without limitation by reason of enumeration, the following:
(1) 
To enter any structure or premises at a reasonable time for the purpose of performing duties under this article and to secure a court order to accomplish this purpose if necessary.
(2) 
To order abatement and/or corrections of any human health hazard/public nuisance in compliance with this article or state statutes.
(3) 
To delegate the responsibilities of administration and enforcement of this article to a registered environmental health sanitarian or another person qualified in the field of public health.
(4) 
To initiate any other action authorized under the law or this article to ensure compliance with the purpose and intent of this article and requirements of this article.
A. 
Human health hazard/public nuisances prohibited. No person shall erect, construct, cause, continue, maintain, or permit any human health hazard/public nuisance within the City. Any person who shall in any way aid or contribute to the causing, creating or maintenance thereof shall be guilty of a violation of this article and shall be liable for all costs and expenses attendant upon the removal and correction of such human health hazard/public nuisance and to the penalty provided in § 262-67 of this article.
B. 
Responsibility of property owner. It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to maintain such owner's property in a hazard-free manner and also to be responsible for the abatement and/or correction of any human health hazard/public nuisance that has been determined to exist on his property.
C. 
Human health hazards enumerated. Specifically, but not limited by enumeration, the following are human health hazards if determined to meet the "human health hazard" definition:
(1) 
Disposition of carcass. The Health Officer/Public Health Administrator or designee shall order such disposition made of any animal that may have died in the City of St. Francis as he shall deem expedient for the general welfare and preservation of the health of the citizens. He may provide that the same shall be removed or disposed of by the owner or person having such animal in charge or under control or otherwise as he may deem proper to bring about the results contemplated by this chapter.
(2) 
Air pollution. The presence in the atmosphere of one or more air contaminants in such quantities and of such duration as is or tends to be injurious to public health, harmful for commercial or recreational use or deleterious to fish, bird, animal or plant life.
(3) 
Noxious odors. Any negligent use of property, substances, or things within the City emitting or causing any foul, offensive, noisome or disagreeable odors or stenches extremely repulsive to the physical senses of ordinary persons or as a whole.
(4) 
Solid waste. Any solid waste which is stored or disposed of in a manner which may pose a human health hazard.
(5) 
Food or breeding places for vermin, insects, etc. Accumulations of decayed animal or vegetable matter, trash, rubbish, garbage, rotting lumber, bedding, packing material, scrap metal, animal and human fecal matter, or any substance in which flies, mosquitoes, disease-carrying insects, rats or other vermin can breed, live, nest or seek shelter.
(6) 
Toxic and hazardous material. Any chemical and/or biological material that is stored, used or disposed of in such quantity or manner that it is, or has the potential to create, a public health hazard.
(7) 
Wastewater. The presence of wastewater or sewage effluent from buildings on the ground surface, backing up into the building and/or running into a surface water body, caused by a damaged, malfunctioning, improperly constructed, or inadequately maintained private sewage system or private sewage lateral. Also, any wastewater or sewage effluent that is not handled and disposed of in compliance with all applicable City and state codes.
(8) 
Surface water pollution. The pollution of any stream, lake or other body of surface water within the City that creates noncompliance with Chs. NR 102 and NR 103 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code.
(9) 
Groundwater pollution. Addition of any chemical and/or biological substance that would cause groundwater to be unpalatable or unfit for human consumption. These substances include but are not limited to the chemical and/or biological substances listed in Ch. NR 140 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code.
(10) 
Holes or openings. Any hole or opening caused by an improperly abandoned cistern, septic tank, dug well or any other improperly abandoned, barricaded or covered up excavation.
(11) 
Nonfunctional public building fixtures. Nonfunctioning water supply systems, toilets, urinals, lavatories or other fixtures considered necessary to ensure a sanitary condition in a public building.
(12) 
Unhealthy or unsanitary condition. Any condition or situation which renders a structure or any part thereof unsanitary, unhealthy and unfit for human habitation, occupancy or use or renders any property unsanitary or unhealthy.
(13) 
Other. Any other situation determined to meet the definition of a human health hazard.
D. 
Public health nuisances enumerated. The following acts, omissions, places, conditions and things are hereby specifically declared to be health nuisances, but such enumeration shall not be construed to exclude other nuisances coming within the definition of "human health hazard":
(1) 
Composting, except when complying with the following:
(a) 
Only one compost area shall be permitted per lot and shall be located in the rear or side yard and may not be nearer than 25 feet to any dwelling unit nor nearer than three feet to any property line.
(b) 
Such compost areas may not exceed four feet in height and 25 square feet.
(c) 
No waste generated outside the property shall be permitted to be composted in any residential district.
(d) 
Such shall be aerated and done in a manner that is accepted to create compost that is nonodorous to a reasonable person.
(2) 
Privy vaults. No privy vaults or cesspools shall be constructed or maintained within the fire limits of the City of St, Francis where sewers have been constructed.
(3) 
Bird feeding. Feed for birds shall be placed in a covered hopper, gravity-type feeder. The platform of the feeder shall be of reasonable size and. surrounded by a ledge to deter food from blowing off. The feeder shall be placed on top of a rodent-proof pole which extends at least 3.5 feet above the ground and shall be placed at least six feet from the nearest climbable object, or the feeder may be suspended from a tree if protected by rodent guards. Feed for birds shall not be placed on the ground where it is accessible to rodents. No more than four bird feeders shall be located on any premises.
(4) 
Animal waste. It shall be the duty of every owner of any animal to dispose of such animal fecal matter and other waste in a sanitary manner as often as may be necessary to prevent any unwholesome accumulation of such matter and/or waste. It shall be unlawful for any person accompanying a dog to permit the dog to defecate upon any private or public place without the consent of the owner thereof unless the person accompanying the dog immediately cleaned up and removed the defecation onto the owner's property.
(5) 
Exposure of unwholesome substances. No person shall put, place, or leave exposed in any part of the City any carcass, carrion, vegetable or putrescent and unwholesome substance; any owner or occupant of any lot or tenement in the City shall not permit any such substance to be on or remain upon said lot or in and about the tenement or between the same and the center of the street adjoining.
(6) 
Stagnant water. All stagnant water in which mosquitoes, flies or other insects can multiply.
(7) 
Miscellaneous. Failure to comply with any law or rule regarding sanitation and health, including but not limited to:
(a) 
Plumbing.
(b) 
Water supplies, including wells, and surface water.
(c) 
Waste disposal.
(d) 
Storage or use of chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides or any other toxic substance.
E. 
Investigation of possible human health hazard/public nuisance. The Health Officer/Public Health Administrator or designee shall investigate all potential human health hazards/public nuisances and shall determine whether or not a human health hazard/public nuisance exists.
F. 
Abatement, correction and enforcement. Abatement, correction and enforcement of a human health ordinance/public nuisance will be according to the provisions in § 262-67 of this article.
[1]
Editor's Note: See also Ch. 320, Nuisances.
A. 
The Health Officer/Public Health Administrator or designee may declare any dwelling or dwelling unit found to have any of the following defects a human health hazard. It shall be condemned as unfit for human habitation and shall be placarded by the Health Officer/Public Health Administrator or designee.
(1) 
A dwelling which is so damaged, decayed, dilapidated, unsanitary, and unsafe or vermin infested that it creates a serious hazard to the health or safety of the occupants or of the public.
(2) 
A dwelling which lacks a potable water supply, a properly functioning public or private sanitary sewer system, or a functioning heating system adequate to protect the health or safety of the occupant or of the public.
(3) 
A dwelling which, because of its general condition or location, is unsanitary or otherwise dangerous to the health or safety of the occupants or of the public.
(4) 
A dwelling which, because of its condition, has been implicated as the source of a confirmed case of lead poisoning or asbestosis.
B. 
No person shall continue to occupy, rent or lease quarters for human habitation which are declared unfit for human habitation by the Health Officer/Public Health Administrator or designee.
C. 
Any dwelling or dwelling unit condemned as unfit for human habitation and so designated and placarded by the Health Officer/Public Health Administrator or designee shall be vacated within a reasonable time, as specified by the Health Officer/Public Health Administrator or designee.
D. 
No dwelling or dwelling unit which has been condemned and placarded as unfit for human habitation shall again be used for human habitation until written approval is secured from, and such placard is removed by, the Health Officer/Public Health Administrator or designee. The Health Officer/Public Health Administrator or his/her designee shall remove such placard whenever the defect or defects upon which the condemnation and placarding were based have been eliminated.
E. 
No person shall deface or remove the placard from any dwelling or dwelling unit which has been condemned as unfit for human habitation.
F. 
A person affected by any notice or order relating to the condemning or placarding of a dwelling or dwelling unit as unfit for human habitation may request and shall be granted a hearing in the matter before the designated municipal body.
G. 
Whenever the Health Officer/Public Health Administrator or designee determines that a violation exists or has reasonable grounds to believe that there has been a violation of any provision of this article, or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto, he shall give or cause to be given notice. Notices shall be in writing, including a description of the real estate involved, a statement of violations and corrective actions required, and allow a reasonable time for the performance of any act required. Such notice shall be served upon the owner, operator or occupant, as the case may require, and may be served by certified mail or in the manner provided by Ch. 801, Wis. Stats., for service of summons.
A. 
Written order. When a violation of this article is encountered, the Health Officer/Public Health Administrator or designee shall issue the violator a written order, served personally or by first-class mail. This order shall specify the following:
(1) 
The nature of the violation and the steps needed to abate and/or correct it.
(2) 
The time period in which the violation must be corrected and/or abated (usually one to five days or 10 to 30 days depending on the nature of the violation).
B. 
Exception to written order. In cases where a violation poses an immediate health hazard to the public as determined by the Health Officer/Public Health Administrator or designee, or in the case of repeating occurrences of the same violation by the same person, the Health Officer/Public Health Administrator or designee can take all reasonable steps to abate the hazard without a written order. The cost of abatement will be assessed to the property owner.