SERVICE REQUEST & INFORMATION CENTER The Service Request & Information Center records all requests for service or complaints called into the Center. After the request is documented, the Service Request Center will forward it to the proper department for necessary review, action or enforcement. To make requesting assistance from us , you can call us at 913573-8790 or send a Service Request from our web site! Neighborhood Resource Center Indian Springs Marketplace 4601 State Avenue, Suite 85 Kansas City, Kansas 66102 Tel: 913-573-8790 CODE ENFORCEMENT COMMON NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES www.wycokck.org/nrc/requestform. PURPOSE Examples of Services Requested: Cut weeds, Repair sub-standard housing, Trash/debris Junk, abandoned and untagged cars, Potholes/street repair, Missed trash, pick-up Loose dogs, Zoning violations Neighborhood Resource Center Indian Springs Marketplace 4601 State Avenue, Suite 85 Kansas City, Kansas 66102 Www.wycokck.org T el: 91 3-5 7387 9 0 The Code Enforcement Division of the Unified Government in its continuing effort to reduce blight and enhance the appearance of our city is continuing its mission to educate the public about code violations. The purpose of this brochure is to educate and encourage voluntary compliance toward the abatement of structural and environmental problems. Violation of these ordinances could result in a fine ranging from $100.00 to $2,500.00 or possible jail time. CLEAN NEIGHBORS MAKE GOOD NEIGHBORS UNSECURED STRUCTURES According to the Kansas City Kansas Code of Ordinances, Sections 8-336 and 8-337, unsecured structures, garages, and other outbuildings create an attractive nuisance to children. All such structures should have windows intact or boarded up, and doors should be secured against unauthorized entry. In addition, unsecured structures allow access to trespassers, drug users, prostitutes, and vandals. This often results in fires and damage to the property or adjacent properties. Well-maintained properties provide a safe and healthy living environment, as well as contributing greatly to the City’s residential neighborhoods. GRAFFITI Defacement of public and private property through the application of graffiti upon walls, rocks, bridges, buildings, fences, gates, other structures, trees and other real and personal property the corporate boundaries of the city constitute a blight on this community, and, in the interests of health, safety, and general welfare of the residents and taxpayers of the city, immediate steps must be taken to remove this blight. DISPLAY OF ADDRESS Ordinance 8-1(a, b, and c) states that: All single family, two-family, multifamily, commercial, industrial and institutional structures, and mobile homes shall display numerical addresses upon the faces of structures and mobile homes. Such display shall meet the following requirements: Arabic numerals shall be at least three inches in height, and shall contrast in color with the background upon the structure where they are placed. The numerical address must be clearly seen from the street and free from vegetation. Numerical addresses should be located at least three (3) and no more than twenty (20) feet above ground level on the face of the structure. All multi-family structures in addition to the numerical address shall be required to have an additional number or letter designating each unit. Mobile homes in mobile home courts shall display the individual lot number on the face of the mobile home. RUBBISH, GARBAGE, and DEBRIS The following conditions in Code Section 8336 – 8-337 make the following a violation: those premises on which an accumulation of weeds, vegetation, junk, dead organic matter, debris, garbage, offal (hide trimmings), rat harborage, stagnant water, combustible materials, discarded appliances, old furniture, brush piles, and similar materials or conditions that constitute fire, health, or safety hazards. Such items must not be stored on the front porch, in the front yard, or at the curb while waiting for trash pick-up day. Rather, they should be placed in proper containers and stored in rear or side yards of your residence. STUFFED FURNITURE USED OUTDOORS Under the Kansas City, Kansas Code of Ordinances, Sections 8-336 and 8-337, stuffed furniture designed for indoor use, when left in the yard or on the porch constitutes a nuisance. Because soft materials absorb rain and other moisture, and because it also provides harborage for insects, snakes, and rodents, they can proCaption describing picture or graphic. mote an unhealthy environment in addition to a blighting effect. Consequently, use of such materials and/or stuffed furniture outdoors is against the law. Penalties for violating these and other ordinances under the Kansas City, Kansas Code of Ordinances range up to $2500 and/ or up to 90 days in jail. Well-maintained properties provide a safe and healthy living environment, and contribute greatly to the appearance of the City’s neighborhoods, thus raising and maintaining property values, and driving up the demand for residential property in Kansas City, Kansas. OVERGROWN WEEDS AND VEGETATION 8-574; 8-575, It is unlawful for any property owner, representative, tenant, or other person with control, occupancy, or possession of real property to allow excessive growth of vegetation. Vegetation in violation would be that which is in excess of eight (8) inches in height on any lot or parcel of land within the city. This includes any area between the property lines of said lot or parcel and the centerline of any adjacent street or alley, including but not specifically limited to sidewalks, streets, alleys, easements, rights-of-way, and all other areas public or private. To ensure you are not cited, keep your property and vacant lots nicely trimmed at all times throughout spring, summer, and fall. FAULTY WEATHER PROTECTION Under Kansas City, Kansas Code of Ordinances sections 8-336 and 8-337, Owners are required to maintain all buildings in a reasonably weather tight condition. A building will meet the definition of faulty weather protection under any/or all of the following conditions: Peeling paint, Lack of paint, Damaged exterior siding, Leaking roof, Broken or missing doors and/or windows, and Faulty guttering. Also considered substandard are broken, rotted, split, or buckled exterior wall or roof coverings. FENCES 8-162, Maintenance; Fences in all districts of the city shall be maintained in good repair and shall be kept vertical, uniform, and structurally sound. Fences constructed of wood or metal shall be uniformly stained, pained, or otherwise treated to prevent weathering or deterioration. 8-163, Sight Distance At Intersections; All corner lots shall provide two- (2) sight distance triangles, the short leg of which shall be twenty (20) feet and the long leg shall be one hundred forty (140) feet measured along the curb line or edge of the pavement. Such area shall remain free of shrubbery, fences, or other obstruction to vision more than two (2) feet high measured from the roadway. 8-182, Fences Enclosing Swimming Pools; Every outdoor private, public, or semi-public swimming pool with the capacity to contain a depth of two (2) feet or more of water shall be enclosed by a fence of six (6) feet in height and made of sturdy non-climbable material. All gates or doors opening through such enclosures shall be six (6) feet in height and equipped with self -enclosing and self-latching devices to keep them securely closed at all times. 8-198, Prohibited Materials; Barbed wire fences, electrically charged fences, or fences constructed of any materials which are liable to snag, tear, cut or otherwise injure anyone coming into contact with them shall not be permitted on residentially zoned properties, excluding those used for agricultural purposes. VEHICLES-ABANDONED, JUNKED, UNLICENSED, ILLEGALLY PARKED, INOPERABLE It is a violation of Kansas City, Kansas Code of Ordinances Section 8-336 and Section 8337 to own and/or maintain a vehicular nuisance in Kansas City, Kansas. A nuisance is defined as, a motor vehicle, which is not currently registered or tagged pursuant to applicable state law, or which is in a condition of being junked or wrecked, is wholly or partially disabled and/or dismantled, or is parked on an unimproved surface. If a vehicle is placarded with a Ten-Day Tow Notice and then towed, a ticket will be issued to the Property Owner and/or any other responsible party. To ensure you are not cited, keep nuisance vehicles off your property and vacant lots. Or, keep them stored within a totally enclosed structure such as a garage at all times. Privacy fence does not qualify as an enclosed structure. BRUSH PILES those premises on which there is an accumulation of weeds, vegetation, dead organic mater, combustible materials, and similar materials constituting fire, health, or safety hazards are deemed a nuisance pursuant to sections 8-336 and 8-337 of the Kansas City Kansas Code of Ordinances. All dead trees, shrubbery, or dead parts of trees within or that overhang public or private property must be promptly removed. Such materials should not be accumulated in piles ahead of time in anticipation of the burn season. Neighborhood Resource Center Indian Springs Marketplace 4601 State Avenue, Suite 85 Kansas City, Kansas 66102 Tel: 913-573-8790