[Adopted by Bill Nos. 77-88 and 78-3[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This legislation was included
as Ch. 12, Arts. I and II, and Sec. 2-167 of the 1978 Code.
A.
Pursuant to Article 25A, § 5(Y) of the Annotated
Code of Maryland, 1957, the County Council is hereby established as
the Local Board of Health for the County.
B.
The County Council shall be the County Board of Health
and shall have and exercise all powers and duties of a Local Board
of Health as provided in Article 43 of the Annotated Code of Maryland,
1957, titled "Health," and Article 25A, § 5(J), of the Annotated
Code of Maryland, 1957.
C.
The County Council, when acting as the Local Board
of Health for the County, is hereby authorized and empowered to adopt
and enforce all necessary rules and regulations concerning sanitation
for food service facilities, habitable buildings and private water
supplies within its jurisdiction and to provide therein reasonable
regulating fees and charges in connection therewith and penalties
for the violation thereof, provided that such rules and regulations
are in addition to and not less stringent than, and not in conflict
with, any regulations of the Secretary of the State Department of
Health and Mental Hygiene or of any provisions of the Annotated Code
of Maryland, 1957.
It shall be the duty of the County Health Officer
to give the State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Board
of Health for the County and such other health authorities as may
properly demand the same all of such professional advice and information
as they may require with a view to the preservation of the public
health in the County; to inquire into the health of the County; and,
whenever he shall hear of the existence of any malignant, contagious
or pestilential disease in the County, to investigate such report
and ascertain, as correctly as possible, the causes which produced
such disease, to adopt measures to arrest its progress and to report
in writing to the Secretary of the State Department of Health and
Mental Hygiene every circumstance in connection therewith; and to
perform such other duties appertaining to the health of the County
as may from time to time be imposed upon him by the County Board of
Health.
Nothing in this Article shall be construed to
affect in any manner any of the powers and duties of the Secretary
of the State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene or any public
general laws or regulations of the state relating to the subject of
health.
The County Board of Health shall:
A.
Concern itself with the general health of the citizens
of the County.
B.
Make or cause to be made investigations and inquiries
respecting the causes of disease and especially epidemics and causes
of mortality.
C.
Inquire into and investigate or cause to be inquired
into and investigated all nuisances affecting the public health, comfort
or property of the citizens of the County.
D.
Be authorized and empowered, by information or petition
filed in the name of such Board, to apply to any court of competent
jurisdiction for the County for an injunction to restrain and prevent
such nuisance, no matter by whom or what authority committed.
E.
Have full power and authority to preserve the health
of the County, to prevent and remove nuisances and to prevent the
introduction of contagious diseases within the County.
A.
For the purpose of protecting the public health, the
Board of Health of the County may make any regulations which, in its
opinion, are necessary and may, from time to time, amend or repeal
such regulations and make new regulations.
B.
The Board of Health may provide by regulations for
the inspection of dwellings and may require that dwellings be maintained
in a sanitary condition and that they be kept clean and free from
filth, rubbish, garbage and similar matter and from vermin and rodent
infestation and in good repair fit for human habitation.
The County Board of Health shall act in conjunction
with the County Health Officer and shall report or cause to be reported
to the Secretary of the State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
such facts in reference to the sanitary conditions of the County as
they may deem important or necessary. They may adopt and enforce all
needful rules and regulations concerning nuisances and causes of sickness
within the County, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Annotated
Code of Maryland, 1957, the Charter or this Article, and may regulate
all fees and charges in connection with such rules and regulations.
Any person who shall fail to comply with any such rules and regulations as aforesaid shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to the general penalty provisions of § 1-23 of this Code.
If any person shall knowingly obstruct or resist any officer, agent or employee of the Board of Health of the County in the execution or performance of his duties in relation to the public health, such person shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to the general penalty provisions of § 1-23 of this Code.
