§ 12-160. Garbage, litter, and refuse material; protection; civil monetary fine.

(a)

The occupants of all business buildings and private residences shall provide an adequate number of covered containers of a type prescribed by the Health Officer according to existing conditions in which all garbage, litter, or refuse, including waste vegetables or animal matter of any kind and all small dead animals, that may serve as food for rodents, shall be placed and stored so that such items are not accessible to rodents until removed from the premises by the garbage collectors.

(b)

No person shall dump or place on any land or in any waterway within the County any dead animals, butchers' offal, or any waste vegetable or animal matter or any other food product whatsoever.

(c)

All establishments where employees eat lunches on the premises are required to provide a sufficient number of suitable covered containers in which the employees shall cause to be placed any remnants of such lunches so that they will not be accessible to rodents at any time.

(d)

Whenever there is evidence of rodent infestation of any moving picture theater or other place of amusement wherein the audience eats peanuts, popcorn, or other foods, the Health Officer may require that all particles of or all such foods be removed from the floors of the place of amusement immediately after the last performance each evening.

(e)

The owner and/or operator of every commercial business establishment and the owner and/or operator of any vending machine where readily consumable food items are offered for sale shall be responsible for providing an adequate number of covered containers for the disposal of garbage, litter, and refuse at locations in front of each such establishment or machine, or at such locations as otherwise approved by the County Health Officer, and reasonably accessible to the establishment's clientele. Said owners and/or operators shall also be responsible for the routine maintenance and disposal of the contents of said containers. The responsibilities assigned in this paragraph shall not apply where otherwise prohibited by law.

(f)

Any person found in violation of this Section 12-160 shall be liable to a civil fine not to exceed Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00). Each day of violation shall constitute a separate violation. The County Attorney shall be authorized to prosecute a violation of this Division by instituting a civil proceeding in a court of competent jurisdiction. The court, upon a finding of a violation, may impose a civil fine, in addition to the granting of any other relief authorized by law.

(Ord. and Res. 1963, Sec. 9-19; CB-26-1975; CB-137-1978; CB-127-1987)