San Rafael Municipal Code Ch. 9.12 Offensive Wastes and Growths

All vehicles used for the transportation of garbage, ashes, swill, or refuse of any description shall be so constructed and maintained that the same shall be watertight, so that no leakage can escape from such vehicle. Such vehicles shall also be provided with watertight oiled canvas covers or other suitable covers, which covers shall at all times when said vehicles are passing along or over, or standing upon any street or alley (except when garbage is actually being placed in said vehicles) be kept on said vehicles in such manner that the cover shall extend well down the sides and ends of the vehicles, and be securely fastened at the corners, sides and ends of the vehicles; and said vehicles shall in said manner be kept covered, whether loaded or empty.

Such vehicles shall be subject to the approval of the health officer of the City of San Rafael before licenses for their operation are issued.

(Ord. 101).

It shall be unlawful for any person to discharge, place, dump, throw or to cause or permit to be thrown, dumped into or otherwise deposited in the San Rafael Canal within the corporate limits of the City of San Rafael or into any tidewater tributary of said canal or any slough, creek, inlet, ditch or body of water, fed by said San Rafael Canal or by the waters flowing into or through said canal or whose waters flow into or empty into said San Rafael Canal, any garbage, sewage, refuse, offal, rubbish or refuse or decayed matter or other materials, or the by-product or refuse product from any trade or industry or produced or left in the operation of any trade or industry within said city, wherever produced.

(Ord. 193).

No owner, agent, lessee or other person having charge or control of any lot within the City of San Rafael shall suffer, allow or permit any tin cans, ashes or other refuse to remain thereon nor place nor maintain nor cause or permit to be placed, kept or maintained upon any such lot or portion thereof any debris, wreckage or other waste, decayed, dilapidated or discarded or abandoned material or other substance or substances or materials likely to attract or to become a gathering or breeding place for rodents, rats or mice or likely to cause or induce the spread of fire or which is likely to become a menace or injurious to public health or so noxious or offensive to the senses as to injuriously affect the peaceful or comfortable enjoyment of surrounding property.

No person shall throw or deposit any rubbish, trash or garden refuse, tree trimmings, ashes, or tin cans or any other offensive or nauseous substance upon any premises in the City of San Rafael.

The word "refuse" as used or employed in this chapter shall be deemed to mean and include among other things all of the substances, materials, things or materials enumerated, set forth or referred to in this section.

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed or interpreted as prohibiting the placing or dumping of rubbish and non-putrescible wastes upon a licensed rubbish dump operated in the manner required by law and ordinance.

(Ord. 56 § 6, as amended by Ord. 720; October 17, 1960: Ord. 202).

No person shall throw or deposit refuse, rubbish, garbage, debris, paper, glass, dirt, dust, animal or vegetable matter, cans, sweepings, or other matters of a similar nature in or upon any street, sidewalk or other public place within the City of San Rafael except in authorized public receptacles, in authorized private receptacles for collection, or in licensed rubbish dumps.

(Ord. 858 § 1, 1966).

No person owning or occupying a place of business shall sweep into or deposit in any gutter, street, sidewalk or other public place within the city the accumulation from such place of business of any refuse, rubbish, garbage, debris, paper, glass, dirt, dust, animal or vegetable matter, cans, sweepings, or other matters of a similar nature. All persons owning or occupying places of business within the city shall keep the sidewalk in front of their business premises free from said matters.

(Ord. 858 § 2, 1966).

No owner, agent, lessee or other person having charge or control of any lot within the city shall suffer, allow, or permit any weeds, mustard, thistles or any indigenous grasses, poison oak or other noxious trees or brush to grow or remain thereon nor upon the sidewalk area between said lot and the curb line. (Ords. 56 and 202).

Whenever the owner or occupant of any property in the city fails to remove grass, weeds, poison oak, tin cans, ashes or any other refuse as provided in this chapter, or to trim trees or hedges as provided in Section 8.12.120, it shall be the duty of the superintendent of streets of the city to give written notice of such failure to comply with the provisions of this chapter to the owner, if known, or to the occupant if there is any, or if the owner is not known and there is no occupant, to post such notice conspicuously on said property. The notice shall briefly describe the work to be done and shall refer to this chapter and shall contain a notification that unless the work is done within ten days after the service or posting of said notice, the superintendent of streets will do same, and that the costs and expense thereof will be charged up and made a lien against the property.

If the work is not done within ten days after the service or posting of notice, it shall be the duty of the superintendent of streets to proceed to do the same and put the property in the condition required by this chapter.

He shall keep a record of said notices, and shall also keep a separate record of the work done on each piece, lot or parcel of land, and the cost of the same.

(Ord. 56).

As soon as the work is completed, the superintendent of streets shall render a statement showing the cost thereof and deliver the same to the city assessor, who shall note the amount thereof on the assessment roll against the property charged, and shall be collected at the same time and in the same manner as other city taxes.

(Ord. 56).