Richmond Municipal Code Ch. 9.12 Powers and Duties

The department of public health shall have the power and duty to protect the health of the people through general supervision of sanitation within the City. These powers and duties may include inspections and the enforcement of local or state laws or regulations relating to:

(a) General sanitation, safety and nuisances;

(b) Food sanitation;

(c) Control of animals and insects;

(d) Garbage and rubbish collection and disposal;

(e) Sewage collection and disposal;

(f) Air and water pollution control;

(g) Hazards to safety;

(h) Sanitation aspects of housing;

(i) Health aspects of civil defense and disaster control;

(j) The rendering of such medical service to the City as approved by the City Manager.

(Amended by Ordinance 348 N.S.)

In pursuance of these and other duties, the authorized personnel of the department of public health shall have the power and authority to enter all premises at and during reasonable hours for purposes of inspection. Reasonable and necessary sample of materials may be taken for the purpose of obtaining information to fulfill the duties of the department.

Where reasonable cause exists for belief that danger to health or safety is present, the director may order materials of any kind, including food, held for further investigation and study, and such material may not be moved or disposed of without his approval. In the event such material is found dangerous to health, the director shall order it to be destroyed or otherwise disposed of in a safe manner approved by him.

In the event that any process, procedure or method of manufacture, transport, or preparation of material of any kind is believed to be dangerous to the public health, the director of public health may order that such process, procedure, or method be temporarily halted pending further investigation.

Actions of the director of public health or any employees of the health department shall at all times be reasonable and based on substantial cause, and the rights of all persons shall be carefully observed.

The director of public health may, with the approval of the City Council and City Manager, adopt and enforce rules and regulations to execute the provisions of this Code. Such rules and regulations may not change the substance of this Code.

The department of public health may commence and maintain all proper and necessary actions and proceedings for any and all of the following purposes:

(a) To enforce its rules and regulations

(b) To enjoin and abate nuisances dangerous to health

(c) To compel the performance of any act specifically enjoined upon any person, officer, or board by any state law or local law or regulation relating to the public health

(d) To protect and preserve the public health. It may defend all actions and proceedings involving its powers and duties.

The director of public health shall be responsible, under the direction of the City Manager, for the supervision of medical and health services in the City in the event of a natural or man-made disaster and shall coordinate and direct the activities of persons performing such services as provided by state law.

The provisions of this article shall be administered by the director of public health, except where indicated otherwise. If any person violates any provisions of this article, the director of public health or any of his deputies herein referred to as "officer," is empowered to issue, in duplicate, a written notice to appear in court, containing the name and address of such person and the offense charged, the time and place where and when such person shall appear in court. Such notice to appear may be known, designated and referred to as a "citation." The officer shall deliver one copy of the notice to appear to such person, and the person must give his written promise to so appear in court by signing the duplicate notice, which shall be retained by the officer. The officer shall, as soon as practicable, file the duplicate with the magistrate specified therein and at the same time file with the magistrate a complaint charging the person with the offense listed on the citation.

(Amended by Ordinance No. 348 N.S.)

(Source: Ordinance No. 1746)