Every place wherein any gambling is permitted; where intoxicating liquors are kept for unlawful use, sale or distribution; wherein any fighting between men, animals or birds is permitted or conducted; or where vagrants resort is a public nuisance.
(1958 code § 5.60.020)
A. 
The term "nuisance" for the purposes of this section shall be, and the same hereby is, defined to mean:
1. 
Any condition or use of premises or of buildings which is detrimental to or damages the property of others or which causes or tends to cause substantial diminution in the value of other property in the city or neighborhood in which such premises or building is located, although the extent of the detriment, damages or diminution may be unequal; or
2. 
Doing an act, or omitting to perform a duty, which act or omission either annoys, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health or safety of others, offends decency or interferes with, obstructs, or tends to obstruct, or renders dangerous for passage any waterway, public park, square, street, alley, sidewalk or highway in the city, or in any way renders other persons insecure in life or in the use of property.
B. 
Nuisances include, but shall not be limited to, the following acts or conditions, which acts or conditions shall be, and the same hereby are, declared to be nuisances:
1. 
The accumulation of refuse, including all sweeping, cleanings, trash, dirt, garbage, industrial or domestic waste, discarded food, animal and vegetable matter, cans, bottles, tree or shrub trimmings, grass clippings, or other yard wastes, wood, stone, brick, plaster, material resulting from the demolition, alteration, construction of buildings or structures or any other waste substance which may become a nuisance.
2. 
Accumulation or scattering of ashes consisting of cinders or residue from the combustion of coal, coke, wood or other combustible material.
3. 
Accumulation of junk, including old appliances or parts thereof, iron, or metal, glass, cardboard, lumber, wood, mattresses and other cloth or plastic materials.
4. 
Accumulation or scattering litter, including paper, waste and other discarded material.
5. 
The closing of any street or alley unlawfully, or the partial obstruction thereof.
6. 
The closing of any public sidewalk unlawfully, or the partial obstruction thereof.
7. 
The accumulation of filthy, including stagnant or impure, water, vegetables, decayed or decaying substances, or other matter or material, which may cause, or tend to cause, or create a noisome or offensive smell or atmosphere.
8. 
The keeping, casting or leaving of any cans, bottles, glass, tacks, refuse, junk or litter upon any street sidewalk, alley, public square or park.
9. 
The use or maintenance of any privy in such a condition as to cause a noisome or offensive smell or atmosphere.
10. 
Slaughterhouses, markets, cellars, stores, wholesale or retail establishments, or other buildings or structures or places which are not kept clean and free from filthy, putrid or offensive substances, or substances or deposits which may engender or cause disease.
11. 
The leaving of the carcass of any animal, or any fish or fowl, or unsound meat, or any noisome or offensive liquid where the same may become offensive to the public.
12. 
Leaving open any ditch or excavation upon public property which is dangerous to life and limb, unless there is a sign visible from 60 feet marked "dangerous" and marked at night with an appropriate light.
13. 
The practice of going in and upon private residence, dwelling and apartment properties in the city by salesmen, solicitors, peddlers, hawkers, itinerant merchants and transient vendors of merchandise and/or any kind of personal property or service not having been requested or invited to do so by the owner or owners, occupant or occupants of said private residence, dwelling or apartment properties for the purpose of soliciting orders for the sale, rent or loan of goods, wares, and merchandise and all kinds of personal property or any interest therein, and service, or for the purpose of selling or disposing of and/or hawking the same, except as provided in subsection (E) of this section.
14. 
The practice of selling tickets to any ball, benefit or entertainment, or asking or receiving any subscription or promise thereof, for the benefit or pretended benefit of any person, association or order, without being duly authorized thereto by the person, association or order for whose benefit the same is done.
15. 
The exploding, discharging or causing to be exploded or discharged any firecracker or other explosive device.
16. 
The growing, permitting, or allowing the growth of any weeds or uncultivated bushes and/or vines, to exceed three feet in height, or any rank vegetable growth which exudes unpleasant or noxious odors, in any area of the city.
17. 
Exterior storage, or the permitting or allowing of such storage, of any partially dismantled, wrecked, junked, discarded or otherwise non-operating motor vehicle, unless the same is stored so as not to be readily visible from any public place or from any surrounding private property, or incidental to a lawful business.
18. 
Maintaining or permitting any tree or shrub, either on or in front of property owned or occupied by persons in the city of Raymond, the roots of which interfere with or cause the surface of a street or sidewalk to be upheaved or otherwise disturbed.
19. 
Maintaining or permitting any tree or shrub, either on or in front of property owned or occupied by persons in the city of Raymond, in such a manner as to interfere with any of the wires or conduits or other property of the city of Raymond.
C. 
Before any person, firm or corporation is charged with a violation of subsection (B)(3), (4), (9), (10), (12), (16), (17), (18) or (19) of this section, such person, firm or corporation shall be given a written notice either by personal service or by certified mail, return receipt requested, that a complaint for the causing, keeping or maintenance of a nuisance is contemplated and by said notice such person, firm or corporation shall have not less than 14 days from the date of notice to remove or abate the nuisance. A true and correct copy of such notice, together with proof of service thereof, shall be kept and filed in court with any complaint filed. If such person, firm or corporation is, after the filing of a complaint therefor, convicted of a violation of this chapter, the person issuing the notice shall cause the nuisance to be removed or abated and the cost thereof, together with interest to accrue at the rate of one percent per month until paid, shall become a lien against the real property on which the nuisance occurred. The notice required herein may be given by the chief of police, any police officer, the fire chief or building inspector of the city. This section shall not prevent the summary abatement by any public officer of a serious threat to health or safety, nor support a damage claim resulting from such abatement.
D. 
Whenever it shall come to the knowledge of the chief of police or any other police officer of the city that any nuisance as defined in subsection (B)(1), (2), (5), (6), (7), (8), (11), (13), (14) or (15) of this section is being caused, kept or maintained, such officer shall immediately make or cause to be made an examination of the yard, lot, building, structure or premises on which such nuisance is allowed or permitted to be, or if a nuisance is found to exist thereon, or to exist in or upon any street, alley, sidewalk, park or square adjacent to or abutting upon said yard, lot, building, structure or premises, unless it shall be necessary in order to abate such nuisance to fill up or drain the property on which the same is situated, such officer shall forthwith give or cause to be given to the owner, occupant or agent thereof a notice to remove or abate such nuisance. If such nuisance shall not be abated or removed within 24 hours after such notice, such officer shall cause the owner, occupant or agent thereof to be summoned into the municipal court of the city for violation hereof. If such owner, occupant or agent thereof is thereupon convicted of a violation hereof, such officer shall cause the nuisance to be removed or abated, and the cost thereof, together with interest to accrue at the rate of one percent per month until paid, shall become a lien against the real property on which the nuisance occurred. This section shall not prevent the summary abatement by any public officer of a serious threat to health or safety, nor support a damage claim resulting from such abatement.
E. 
Subsection (B)(13) of this section shall not apply to any person, firm or corporation which is otherwise regulated under the statutes, rules and regulations for interstate commerce, or selling goods, wares, merchandise or personal property for or on behalf of a nonprofit corporation, and which person, firm or corporation has given notice to the city clerk/treasurer that the person, firm or corporation will be selling door-to-door upon private residences, dwellings and apartment properties. Said notice shall be in writing and shall include the names, phone numbers and addresses of all persons transacting business in said manner.
F. 
Any person, firm or corporation violating the provisions of this section, in addition to any penalty as hereafter provided, may, in the sound discretion of the court in which conviction is obtained, be directed by the court to abate and remove from any public street or highway or public or private right-of-way, or public park, or any private property any or all debris and waste deposited thereon by anyone prior to the date of said conviction.
G. 
Each day a violation hereof continues shall constitute a separate offense hereunder.
H. 
It shall be unlawful to be or create a nuisance in the city of Raymond.
(Ord. 1757 § 2, 2009)
It is unlawful for any person to deposit or cause to be deposited within the city, or to permit to remain on any premises occupied by such person as owner, occupant, tenant or otherwise, any offensive or nauseous barn, stable, chicken coop or pile of manure, offal, garbage or other offensive or nauseous substance.
(1958 code § 5.60.150)
Any billboard used for outside advertising, which billboard advertises a business or product other than that of the occupant, be it lessee or owner of the premises on which the billboard is stationed, shall constitute a public nuisance, and the provisions of this chapter for penalty with respect thereto shall be applicable. Freestanding billboards and signs shall be allowed only upon the business premises upon which the business of the advertiser is conducted, and then only in conformance with the above standards. This provision, however, shall not apply to signs of chambers of commerce or fraternal and service organizations when permission therefor has first been obtained from the city council.
(1958 code § 5.60.045)
It is unlawful to erect, continue or use any building or other place for the exercise of any trade, employment or manufacture which, by occasioning any obnoxious exhalation, offensive smell or otherwise, is offensive or dangerous to the health of individuals or of the public.
(1958 code § 5.60.140)
It is unlawful for any person who is the owner, occupant or agent of any building, house or premises in the city on which there is a sewer or privy to permit the same to become offensive, obnoxious or dangerous to the health of the individuals or of the public.
(1958 code § 5.60.160)
A. 
Every building which, by reason of decay or damage by fire, is dangerous to the public, or which is or constitutes a fire hazard is a public nuisance.
B. 
A building shall be considered dangerous and a fire hazard which, by reason of decay or fire, is damaged to an amount of thirty-three and one-third percent or more of the actual cost of construction of the entire building; and any building under which the foundation or sills, or either, has deteriorated from decay, fire or any other cause so that the building is out of plumb or leans in any direction, or touches any surrounding building shall be considered damaged and a fire hazard.
(1958 code § 5.60.070)
It shall be the duty of the chief of the fire department to take notice of and examine all buildings within the city which have been damaged by any cause to an extent of one-third of the actual cost of construction of such building, and if he finds that any such building constitutes a fire hazard or a nuisance as hereinabove defined, he shall report to the city council in writing thereon, and if the city council deems it advisable, they may order a hearing thereon as provided for in RMC § 8.20.160.
(1958 code § 5.60.110)
Every public nuisance shall be abated at the expense of the owner of the property upon which the nuisance is maintained. The city council members, when they deem that a public nuisance exists, shall so declare by resolution of the council, which resolution shall designate the purported nuisance, its location by street number or other description sufficient for identification, shall fix a date for hearing on such resolution before the city council, and shall provide that notice of such hearing before the city council shall be served on the person or persons responsible for the nuisance at least five days before the date of such hearing; and at such hearing shall make finding either that there is or that there is not a public nuisance being maintained. If the city council members find that there is a public nuisance, they shall order the same abated at the expense of the property owner.
(1958 code § 5.60.080)
The fact that the city council members may proceed to the abatement of a public nuisance shall not affect any criminal prosecution for such public nuisance; nor shall the criminal prosecution in any way affect the power of the city council members and of the police court to abate such nuisance.
(1958 code § 5.60.100)
A. 
The doing or allowing or permitting to be done any act or thing which is declared unlawful under this chapter is declared to be a public nuisance. Any person who violates any provision of this chapter has committed a civil violation and shall be subject to the provisions herein and the provisions of RMC Title 11, Enforcement Procedures. The person responsible for any violation of this chapter at all residential dwellings, commercial establishments, and/or real estate shall be responsible for compliance with this chapter and liable for any damages or costs incurred and awarded under this chapter and RMC Title 11.
B. 
Each and every day that any public nuisance is permitted or maintained is and shall be considered a separate offense.
(Ord. 1757 § 3, 2009; 1958 code § 5.60.090; Ord. No. 1946, 7/7/2025)