Nuisance Bylaw (Guernsey)

Rural Municipality of Usborne No. 310, Saskatchewan

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BYLAW 5-2016 A BYLAW OF THE RURAL MUNICIPALITY OF USBORNE NO. 310 TO PROVIDE FOR THE ABATEMENT OF NUISANCES WITHIN THE ORGANIZED HAMLET OF GUERNSEY. The Council of the Rural Municipality of Usborne No. 310, in the Province of Saskatchewan, hereby enacts as follows: Short Title 1. This Bylaw may be cited as The Nuisance Abatement Bylaw. Purpose 2. The purpose of this Bylaw is to provide for the abatement of nuisances within the Organized Hamlet of Guernsey, including property, activities, or things that adversely affect: a) the safety, health or welfare of people or the environment in the neighborhood; b) people's use and enjoyment of their property; or c) the amenity of the neighborhood. Definitions 3. In this Bylaw: a) "Designated Officer" means an employee or agent of the Municipality appointed by Council to act as a municipal inspector for the purposes of this Bylaw; b) "building" means a building within the meaning of The Municipalities Act; c) "Municipality" means the RM of Usborne No. 343 d) "Guernsey" means the Organized Hamlet of Guernsey e) "Council" means the Council of the RM of Usborne No. 310 f) "junked vehicle" means any automobile, tractor, truck, trailer or other vehicle that i) either: (1) has no valid license plates attached to it; or (2) is in a rusted, wrecked, partly wrecked, dismantled, partly dismantled, inoperative or abandoned condition; and ii) is located on private land, but that: (1) is not within a structure erected in accordance with any Bylaw respecting the erection of buildings and structures in force within the Municipality; and (2) does not form a part of a business enterprise lawfully being operated on that land; g) "nuisance" means a condition of property, or a thing, or an activity, that adversely affects or may adversely affect: i) the safety, health or welfare of people or the environment in the neighborhood; ii) people's use and enjoyment of their property; or iii) the amenity of a neighborhood and includes: i) a building in a ruinous or dilapidated state of repair; ii) an unoccupied building that is damaged and is an imminent danger to public safety; iii) land that is overgrown with grass and weeds; iv) land that has shrubs or trees overhanging onto property of the Municipality; v) untidy and unsightly property; vi) junked vehicles; and vii) open excavations on property h) "occupant" means an occupant as defined in The Municipalities Act; i) "owner" means an owner as defined in The Municipalities Act; j) "property" means land or buildings or both; k) "structure" means anything erected or constructed, the use of which requires temporary or permanent location on, or support of, the soil, or attached to something having permanent location on the ground or soil; but not including pavements, curbs, walks or open air surfaced areas. Responsibility 4. Unless otherwise specified, the owner of a property, including land, buildings and structures, shall be responsible for carrying out the provisions of this Bylaw. Nuisances Prohibited Generally 5. No person shall cause or permit a nuisance to occur on any property owned by that person. Dilapidated Buildings 6. Notwithstanding the generality of Section 5, no person shall cause or permit a building or structure to deteriorate into a ruinous or dilapidated state such that the building or structure, as determined by Council: a) is dangerous to the public health or safety; b) substantially depreciates the value of other land or improvements in the neighborhood; or c) is substantially detrimental to the amenities of the neighborhood. Unoccupied Buildings 7. Notwithstanding the generality of Section 5, no person shall cause or permit an unoccupied building to become damaged or to deteriorate into a state of disrepair such that the building is an imminent danger to public safety. Overgrown Grass and Weeds 8. Notwithstanding the generality of Section 5, no owner or occupant of land shall cause or permit the land to be overgrown with grass or weeds. 9. For the purpose of this section, "overgrown" means in excess of 0.20 meters in height. 10. This section shall not apply to any growth which forms part of a natural garden that has been deliberately planted to produce ground cover, including one or more species or wildflowers, shrubs, perennials, grasses or combinations of them, whether native or non-native, consistent with a managed and natural landscape other than regularly mown grass. Shrubs or trees overhanging onto property of the Municipality 11. Notwithstanding the generality of Section 5, no owner or occupant of land shall cause or permit shrubs or trees on the land to overhang onto property of the Municipality so that that said shrubs or trees cause an impediment, interference or hazard to the public use of the property of the Municipality. Untidy and Unsightly Property 12. Notwithstanding the generality of Section 5, no person shall cause or permit any land or buildings to become untidy and unsightly. Junked Vehicles 13. Notwithstanding the generality of Section 5, no person shall cause or permit any junked vehicle to be kept on any land owned by that person. Open Excavations 14. Notwithstanding the generality of Section 5, no person shall cause or permit any basement, excavation, drain, ditch, watercourse, pond, surface water, swimming pool or other structure to exist in or on any private land or in or about any building or structure which is dangerous to the public safety or health. Maintenance of Yards 15. Notwithstanding the generality of section 5, no person shall cause or permit on any property owned by that person: a) an infestation of rodents, vermin, or insects; b) any dead or hazardous trees; or c) any sharp or dangerous objects. Outdoor Storage of Materials 16. Any building materials, lumber, scrap metal, boxes or similar items stored in a yard shall be neatly stacked in piles and elevated off the ground so as not to constitute a nuisance or harborage for rodents, vermin and insects. 17. Materials referred to in Section 16 shall be elevated at least 0.15 metres off the ground and at least 1.0 metres from the property line. Refrigerators and Freezers 18 Any refrigerator or freezer left in a yard shall first have its hinges, latches, lid, door or doors removed. Fences 19. Fences shall be maintained in a safe and reasonable state of repair. Enforcement of Bylaw 20. The administration and enforcement of this Bylaw is hereby delegated to the Administrator for the RM of Usborne No. 310 21. The Administrator of the RM of Usborne No. 310 is hereby authorized to further delegate the administration and enforcement of this Bylaw to the Municipality's Bylaw Enforcement Officer or Guernsey Hamlet Board. Inspections 22. The inspection of property by the Municipality to determine if this Bylaw is being complied with is hereby authorized. 23. Inspections under this Bylaw shall be carried out in accordance with Section 362 of The Municipalities Act. 24. No person shall obstruct a Designated Officer who is authorized to conduct an inspection under this section, or a person who is assisting a Designated Officer. Order to Remedy Contraventions 25. If a Designated Officer finds that a person is contravening this Bylaw, the Designated Officer may, by written order, require the owner or occupant of the property to which the contravention relates to remedy the contravention. 26. Orders given under this Bylaw shall comply with Section 364 of The Municipalities Act. 27. Orders given under Bylaw shall be served in accordance with Section 390 (1)(a), (b) or (c) of The Municipalities Act. Registration of Notice of Order 28. If an order is issued pursuant to Section 25, the Municipality may, in accordance with Section 364 of The Municipalities Act, give notice of the existence of the order by registering an interest against the title to the land that is the subject of the order. Appeal of Order to Remedy 29. A person may appeal an order made pursuant to Section 25 in accordance with Section 365 of The Municipalities Act. Municipality Remedying Contraventions 30. The Municipality may, in accordance with Section 366 of The Municipalities Act, take whatever actions or measures are necessary to remedy a contravention of this Bylaw. 31. In an emergency, the Municipality may take whatever actions or measures are necessary to eliminate the emergency in accordance with the provisions of Section 367 of The Municipalities Act. Recovery of Unpaid Expenses and Costs 32. Any unpaid expenses and costs incurred by the Municipality in remedying a contravention of this Bylaw may be recovered either: a) by civil action for debt in a court of competent jurisdiction in accordance with Section 368 of The Municipalities Act; or b) by adding the amount to the taxes on the property on which the work is done in accordance with Section 369 of The Municipalities Act. Offenses and Penalties 33. No person shall: a) fail to comply with an order made pursuant to this Bylaw; b) obstruct or interfere with any Designated Officer or any other person acting under the authority of this Bylaw; or c) fail to comply with any other provision of this Bylaw. Coming Into Force 34. This Bylaw shall come into force on the day of its final passing. ____________________________________ Reeve ____________________________________ Administrator __________________________________ Certified a true copy of Bylaw 05-16 Reeve Adopted by resolution of council on the 14th day of December, 2016 __________________________________ Adminstrator