(a)   The purpose of this chapter is to provide reasonable controls restricting and prohibiting the creation and allowing of nuisances to exist on property within the City of Lakin; to declare that certain conditions constitute public nuisances, which are unsightly, are a menace and dangerous to heath of the inhabitants of the city and are offensive to the general public health, safety, and welfare of the property owners or those in control of property that a violation exists and to allow for self-abatement by such persons; to provide property owners or those in control of property notification and an opportunity to be heard concerning violations of this chapter; to provide administrative procedures to allow the city to direct the abatement of violations; to provide a method of assessment or collection of costs for abatement by the city; to declare that the existence of such violations is unlawful and to provide penalties for enforcement through the municipal court system.

(b)   The governing body of the City of Lakin herby finds that nuisances as defined herein, on private property or adjacent rights-of-way or easements are public nuisances, which are unsightly, a menace, dangerous to the health of the inhabitants of the city and are offensive to the general public health, safety, and welfare of the community. Such nuisances promote conditions, which cause:

(1)   Disease;

(2)   Pollution;

(3)   Proliferation of rodents, vermin, insects, and reptiles;

(4)   The spread of fire;

(5)   Harmful attractions for children

(6)   Adverse impact on the use and enjoyment of property including the reduction of property values and the integrity of the neighborhood;

(7)   Obstructions or interference on any street, alleyway, sidewalk, stream, or drainage/

(8)   Interference with the orderly development of property in the city.

(c)   Nuisances; defined. It shall be unlawful for any person to maintain or permit any nuisance within the city as defined, without limitation, as follows:

(1)   Filth, excrement, lumber, rocks, dirt, cans, paper, trash, metal or any other offensive or disagreeable thing or substance thrown or left or deposited upon any street, avenue, alley, sidewalk, park, public or private enclosure or lot whether vacant or occupied;

(2)   All dead animals not removed within 24 hours after death;

(3)   Any place or structure or substance, which emits or causes any offensive, disagreeable or nauseous odors;

(4)   All stagnant ponds or pools of water;

(5)   All grass or weeds or other unsightly vegetation not usually cultivated or grown for domestic use or to be marketed or for ornamental purposes;

(6)   Abandoned refrigerators kept on the premises under the control of any person, or deposited in the sanitary landfill, or any refrigerator not in actual use unless the door, opening or lid thereof is unhinged, or unfastened and removed there from;

(7)   All articles or things whatsoever caused, kept, maintained or permitted by any person to the injury, annoyance or inconvenience of the public or of any neighborhood;

(8)   Any fence, structure, thing or substance placed upon or being upon any street, sidewalk, alley or public ground so as to obstruct the same, except as permitted by the laws of the city.

(K.S.A. 21-4106:4107; Code 1986; Ord. 788; Code 2018)

The public officer shall make inquiry and inspection of premises upon receiving a complaint or complaints in writing signed by two or more persons stating that a nuisance exists and describing the same and where located or is informed that a nuisance may exist by the board of health or the fire chief. The public officer may make such inquiry and inspection when he or she observes conditions which appear to constitute a nuisance. Upon making any inquiry and inspection the public officer shall make a written report of findings.

(Code 1986)

The public officer has the right of access and entry upon private property at any reasonable time for the purpose of making inquiry and inspection to determine if a nuisance exists.

Any person, corporation, partnership or association found by the public officer to be in violation of section 8-201 shall be served a notice of such violation. The notice shall be served on the owner or agent of such property by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by personal service, or if the same is unoccupied and the owner is a nonresident, then by mailing a notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the last known address of the owner.

(K.S.A. 12-1617e)

The notice shall state the condition(s) which is (are) in violation of section 8-201. The notice shall also inform the person, corporation, partnership or association that

(a)   He, she or they shall have 10 days from the date of serving the notice to abate the condition(s) in violation of section 8-201; or

(b)   He, she or they have 10 days from the date of serving the notice to request a hearing before the governing body of the matter as provided by section 8-208;

(c)   Failure to abate the condition(s) or to request a hearing within the time allowed may result in prosecution as provided by section 8-206 and/or abatement of the condition(s) by the city as provided by section 8-207.

(Code 1967, 9-301; Code 1986)

Should the person, corporation, partnership or association fail to comply with the notice to abate the nuisance or request a hearing the public officer may file a complaint in the municipal court of the city against such person, corporation, partnership or association and upon conviction of any violation of provisions of section 8-201, be fined in an amount not to exceed $100 or be imprisoned not to exceed 30 days or be both fined and imprisoned. Each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues after notice has been served shall constitute an additional or separate offense.

(Code 1967, 9-308; Code 1986)

In addition to, or as an alternative to prosecution as provided in section 8-206, the public officer may seek to remedy violations of this section in the following manner. If a person to whom a notice has been sent pursuant to section 8-204 has neither alleviated the conditions causing the alleged violation nor requested a hearing before the governing body within the time periods specified in section 8-205, the public officer may present a resolution to the governing body for adoption authorizing the public officer or other agents of the city to abate the conditions causing the violation at the end of 10 days after passage of the resolution. The resolution shall further provide that the costs incurred by the city shall be charged against the lot or parcel of ground on which the nuisance was located as provided in section 8-209. A copy of the resolution shall be served upon the person in violation in one of the following ways:

(a)   Personal service upon the person in violation;

(b)   Service by certified mail, return receipt requested; or

(c)   In the event the whereabouts of such person are unknown and the same cannot be ascertained in the exercise of reasonable diligence, an affidavit to that effect shall be made by the public officer and filed with the city clerk, and the serving of the resolution shall be made by publishing the same once each week for two consecutive weeks in the official city newspaper and by posting a copy of the resolution on the premises where such condition exists.

(Code 1967, 9-306; Code 1986)

If a hearing is requested within the 10 day period as provided in section 8-205, such request shall be made in writing to the governing body. Failure to make a timely request for a hearing shall constitute a waiver of the person’s right to contest the findings of the public officer before the governing body. The hearing shall be held by the governing body as soon as possible after the filing of the request therefore, and the person shall be advised by the city of the time and place of the hearing at least five days in advance thereof. At any such hearing, the person may be represented by counsel, and the person and the city may introduce such witnesses and evidence as is deemed necessary and proper by the governing body. The hearing need not be conducted according to the formal rules of evidence. Upon conclusion of the hearing, the governing body shall record its determination of the matter by means of adopting a resolution and serving the resolution upon the person in the matter provided in section 8-207.

(Code 1986)

If the city abates the nuisance pursuant to section 8-208, the city shall give notice to the owner or his or her agent by certified mail, return receipt requested, of the total cost of the abatement or removal incurred by the city. The notice shall also state that the payment is due within 30 days following receipt of the notice. If the cost of the removal or abatement is not paid within the 30-day period, the cost shall be collected in the manner provided by K.S.A. 12-1,115, and amendments thereto, or shall be assessed as special assessments against the lot or parcel of land on which the nuisance was located and the city clerk, at the time of certifying other city taxes, shall certify the unpaid portion of the costs and the county clerk shall extend the same on the tax rolls of the county against such lot or parcel of land and it shall be collected by the county treasurer and paid to the city as other city taxes are collected and paid. The city may pursue collection both by levying a special assessment and in the manner provided by K.S.A. 12-1,115 and amendments thereto, but only until the full cost and applicable interest has been paid in full.

The mayor shall designate a public officer to be charged with the administration and enforcement of this article.

(Code 2003; Ord. 788; Code 2018)