(a) The city council finds that:
(1) Behaviors and activities of person(s) on real property within the city may constitute a public nuisance and thereby a significant risk to public safety when such behaviors and activities are associated with the ongoing occurrence of criminal activity.
(2) Each owner of real property within the city is responsible for monitoring his/her property and for taking appropriate and reasonable action to prevent or address behaviors or activities occurring on his/her property that contribute to crime or create public nuisances. When a property owner, after receiving notice hereunder, fails to take appropriate and reasonable action to prevent and/or address such behaviors and activities it is necessary for the health, safety, and welfare of the neighborhoods and the city as a whole, that the city is able to undertake administrative or judicial action.
(3) Because behaviors and activities that are associated with the ongoing occurrence of criminal activity or crime have a substantial negative impact upon individuals, neighborhoods, and the city as a whole, the city council, in adopting this article, finds the administrative penalties imposed for a violation of this article are justified and necessary to protect the property, health, safety, and welfare of this community.
(4) Community safety must be protected in a way that does not result in housing discrimination or evictions based upon prejudice, unsubstantiated fear, or personal animosities. Nothing in this article exempts property owners from strict compliance with state and federal housing laws, including, but not limited to, laws regarding evictions, retaliatory or discriminatory conduct, or invasion of privacy.
(5) Chronic nuisance properties have a tremendous negative impact upon the quality of life, safety, and health of neighborhoods where they are located. This article is enacted to remedy nuisance properties by providing a process for abatement; and this remedy is not an exclusive remedy available under any state or local laws and may be used in conjunction with such other laws.
(6) Also, chronic nuisance properties are a financial burden to the city by the repeated calls for service to the properties, because of the nuisance activities that repeatedly occur or exist on such property, and this article is a means to ameliorate those conditions and hold responsible the owner or persons in charge of such property.
(b) Based on these findings, the purpose of this article is:
(1) To provide administrative and civil remedies against property owners who permit, allow, or fail to prevent ongoing behaviors and activities to occur on their properties that compromise public safety.
(2) It is not the purpose of this article to subject property owners to any legal liability resulting from a tenant’s actions occurring away from the owner’s property. (Ord. No. 1492, § 3 (part).)