[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Lexington by Ord. No. 05-8 (Ch. 11 of the 1970 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Animals — See Ch. 115.
Cigarettes and tobacco products — See Ch. 153.
Property maintenance — See Ch. 314.
Solid waste — See Ch. 349.
A. 
The Virginia State Department of Health, organized and existing under the laws of the state and the State Board of Health, shall constitute the Health Department of the City and shall exercise, perform and carry out all the powers, duties and obligations now or hereafter prescribed by the Charter and by this Code and other ordinances of the City insofar as the same are not inconsistent with the laws of the state pertaining to public health and sanitation.
B. 
The Council shall appropriate to the maintenance and advancement of the Health Department such sums as in the judgment of the Council are reasonably necessary and proper for that purpose.
The Health Director shall have power to adopt and enforce such reasonable rules and regulations as may be deemed necessary for health and sanitation. In the case of emergencies, such rules and regulations shall become immediately effective.
[Amended 10-6-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-09]
A. 
Purpose. In order to provide for the well-being and safety of the general public, the City Council provides under the provisions of Title 15.2 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, and any future amendments thereto:
(1) 
That the City Council, through its own agents or employees, may compel the abatement or removal of all nuisances, including the razing or repair of all unsafe, dangerous or unsanitary public or private buildings, walls or structures which constitute a menace to the health and safety of the occupants thereof or the public.
(2) 
That the City Council, through its own agents or employees, may abate or obviate the condition or nuisance, if the owner or owners, occupant or occupants of such property or premises, after reasonable notice, shall fail to abate or obviate the condition or nuisance.
B. 
Definitions.
(1) 
Nuisance.
(a) 
"Nuisance" is defined as in Code of Virginia, § 15.2-900. ("The term 'nuisance' includes, but is not limited to, dangerous or unhealthy substances which have escaped, spilled, been released or which have been allowed to accumulate in or on any place and all unsafe, dangerous, or unsanitary public or private buildings, walls, or structures which constitute a menace to the health and safety of the occupants thereof or the public.")
(b) 
Additional examples of conditions that may be considered a nuisance are found in Code of Virginia, § 15.2-1115 ("nuisances, including but not limited to the removal of weeds from private and public property and snow from sidewalks; the covering or removal of offensive, unwholesome, unsanitary or unhealthy substances allowed to accumulate in or on any place or premises; the filling in to the street level, fencing or protection by other means, of the portion of any lot adjacent to a street where the difference in level between the lot and the street constitutes a danger to life and limb; the raising or draining of grounds subject to be covered by stagnant water; and the razing or repair of all unsafe, dangerous or unsanitary public or private buildings, walls or structures which constitute a menace to the health and safety of the occupants thereof or the public.")
(2) 
"Repair" may include maintenance work to the exterior of a building to prevent deterioration of the building or adjacent buildings.
(3) 
Reasonable notice.
(a) 
"Reasonable notice" includes a written notice:
[1] 
Mailed by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, sent to the last known address of the property owner; and
[2] 
Published once a week for two successive weeks in a newspaper having general circulation in the locality.
(b) 
A written notice sent by registered or certified mail to, or posted at, the last known address of the property owner as shown on the current real estate tax assessment books or current real estate tax assessment records shall be deemed sufficient notice to the property owner and shall satisfy the notice requirements of this section.
(c) 
No action shall be taken by the City to remove, repair, or secure any building, wall, or other structure for at least 30 days following the later of the return of the receipt or newspaper publication, except that the City may take action to prevent unauthorized access to the building within seven days of such notice if the structure is deemed to pose a significant threat to public safety and such fact is stated in the notice.
C. 
Cost recovery.
(1) 
The cost of abating or obviating the nuisance shall be charged to and collected from the owner or owners, occupant or occupants of the property affected in any manner provided by law for the collection of state or local taxes.
(2) 
Every charge authorized by this section in excess of $200 which has been assessed against the owner of any such property and which remains unpaid shall constitute a lien against such property. Such liens shall have the same priority as liens for other unpaid local real estate taxes and shall be enforceable in the same manner as provided in Article 3 (§ 58.1-3940 et seq.) and Article 4 (§ 58.1-3965 et seq.) of Chapter 39 of Title 58.1 of the Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended.
(3) 
The City Council may waive such liens in order to facilitate the sale of the property only as to a purchaser who is unrelated by blood or marriage to the owner and who has no business association with the owner. All such liens shall remain a personal obligation of the owner of the property at the time the liens were imposed.
D. 
Notwithstanding the foregoing, with the written consent of the property owner, the City may, through its agents or employees, demolish or remove a derelict nonresidential building or structure provided that such building or structure is neither located within nor determined to be a contributing property within a state or local historic district nor individually designated in the state landmarks register. The property owner's written consent shall identify whether the property is subject to a first lien evidenced by a recorded deed of trust or mortgage and, if so, shall document the property owner's best reasonable efforts to obtain the consent of the first lienholder or the first lienholder's authorized agent. The costs of such demolition or removal shall constitute a lien against such property. In the event the consent of the first lienholder or the first lienholder's authorized agent is obtained, such lien shall rank on a parity with liens for unpaid local taxes and be enforceable in the same manner as provided in this section. In the event the consent of the first lienholder or the first lienholder's authorized agent is not obtained, such lien shall be subordinate to that first lien but shall otherwise be subject to this section.
The City Manager is hereby empowered, authorized and directed to exercise all the rights created by laws of the state with reference to the enforcement and maintenance of health regulations, insofar as such laws can be exercised by a City Manager and are applicable, and such laws are hereby interpolated as a part of this Code and shall constitute an ordinance of the City, except insofar as the same may be in conflict with the Charter of the City and ordinances and provisions of this Code enacted in pursuance thereto. In the event of such conflict the Charter and such Code provisions and ordinances shall control.
No discharge from any bathtub, hydrant or other water fixture shall be permitted to flow into the streets, upon the sidewalk or upon the premises of adjoining property owners. Under no circumstances shall discharge from kitchen sinks or slops from a kitchen be turned, dumped or poured into the streets or in such a way as to run onto a street.
If upon any ground within the City there shall be found a natural drain or running water, the owner or occupant thereof, or abutting property owners, shall be required to keep the same clean, free and unobstructed from garbage or vegetation upon order of the Health Director. If stagnant water or marshy places shall be found upon any premises in the City, the owner or occupant thereof shall be required to drain the stagnant water or fill up such marsh forthwith upon the order of the Health Director. Upon failure to comply, the City Manager is hereby authorized to accomplish the same at the expense of the City, and such costs, together with such additional fine as may be imposed, shall be collected as other fines for the violation of the provisions of this Code and other City ordinances.
A. 
Adoption of rules and regulations of State Department of Health. All provisions and rules and regulations of the Department of Health of the state relative to restaurants are hereby adopted and made a part of this chapter as fully as though set out herein. It shall be unlawful for any person to fail, neglect or refuse to comply with the provisions and requirements of the sections hereby adopted, and any person so failing, neglecting or refusing to comply with such provisions and requirements shall be punished as provided in Chapter 1, § 1-6 of this Code.
B. 
Exemption of certain fairs and youth athletic activities from Title 35.1. Title 35.1 of the Code of Virginia (1950), as amended, regulating hotels, restaurants, summer camps and campgrounds, shall not apply to:
(1) 
Food booths at festivals, fairs, and similar events, if such booths are promoted or sponsored by any political subdivision of the commonwealth or by any charitable nonprofit organization or group thereof.
(2) 
Concession stands at youth athletic activities, if such stands are promoted or sponsored by either a youth athletic association or any charitable nonprofit organization or group thereof which has been recognized as being part of the recreational program of the City by an ordinance or resolution of the City Council.