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AN ORDINANCE PROHIBITING THE KEEPING, STORING, AND/OR MAINTAINING OF INOPERABLE MOTOR VEHICLES AND OTHER UNSIGHTLY AND UNSANITARY ITEMS UPON THE PRIVATE PROPERTY WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS: PROVIDING THE MANNER FOR REMOVAL AND DISPOSAL OF SAME: FIXING THE PENALTY THEREFORE: DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
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WHEREAS, in many areas in the City of Jonesboro, inoperable vehicles, tires, iceboxes, refrigerators, paper, stoves, glass, building materials, building rubbish and/or similar unsightly or unsanitary item have been permitted to remain on private property for long periods of time, and
WHEREAS, said motor vehicles and other items constitute an attractive nuisance for children, provide harborage for rats, animals, and mosquitoes constituting a menace to the public’s health safety and welfare; and
WHEREAS, the storage of inoperable motor vehicles and other items on private property is unsightly, obnoxious, and detrimental to the neighborhood and results in the depreciation of property value.
NOW, THEREFORE, be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas:
Section 1: That from and after the passage and approval of this ordinance, it shall be unlawful for the owner or occupant of a residential building structure or property to utilize the premises of such residential property for the open storage of any inoperable motor vehicle (not currently licensed), icebox, refrigerator, stove, tires, glass, building material, paper, building rubbish and/or similar unsightly and unsanitary items. An inoperable motor vehicle for the purpose of this ordinance is defined as one that is in a state of disrepair and incapable of being moved under its own power or one that does not have current, valid license plates.
Section 2: It shall be the duty and responsibility of every such owner or occupant to keep the premises of such residential property clean and to remove all such items from the premises.
Section 3: Any owner or occupant that fails to remove an inoperable motor vehicle or all such previously listed and/or similar items, after written notice to do so from the Office of the City Building Inspector, within ten (10) days after receipt of said notice, shall be in violation of this ordinance and said items shall be removed by the City of Jonesboro and the costs of towing, removal and/or storage of said items shall constitute a misdemeanor as outlined in Section 4. If said property, in violation of this ordinance, is owned by the owner of the real property and said items are removed by the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas, as outlined in Section 3, a lien shall be imposed upon said real property from which it was removed. The City Attorney is hereby authorized and directed to take the necessary legal action to establish and perfect a lien against such property.
Section 4: Any violation of this ordinance shall be deemed a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punishable by a fine of not less than Twenty Five Dollars (25.00) nor more than Fifty Dollars ($50.00), and each day such violation occurs shall be considered a separate offense.
Section 5: All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed.
Section 6: The City Council has determined that inoperable motor vehicles (not currently licensed) and other unsightly and/or unsanitary items are being accumulated upon private property throughout the corporate limits of the City and such practice constitutes a health hazard as well as being unsightly and obnoxious and this situation should be corrected at once.
THEREFORE, an emergency is hereby declared to exist and this ordinance being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace and safety shall be in full force and effect immediately upon its passage and approval.
PASSED AND APPROVED this 5th day of May, 1975.