HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD 5769 CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON
ORDINANCE NO. 5769
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON, AMENDING SECTION
1-3-3 OF CHAPTER 3, REMEDIES AND PENALTIES, OF TITLE I (ADMINISTRATIVE)
OF THE RENTON MUNICIPAL CODE, CLARIFYING THE PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF
RENTON'S CHRONIC NUISANCE REGULATIONS.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON, DOES ORDAIN AS
FOLLOWS:
SECTION I. Subsection 1-3-3.A, Purpose, of Chapter 3, Remedies and Penalties, of
Title I (Administrative) of the Renton Municipal Code, is amended as follows:
A. Purpose: Unlawful, unkempt, unsafe, unsanitary, improperly maintained
premises, properties, sidewalks and easements, premises where illegal and/or
code violating conduct occur, and nuisances and chronic nuisance properties
within the City, create potentially grave habitability, health, safety, sanitation,
and welfare concerns for the City, its residents and guests, and for the value and
economic well-being of the premises and properties and premises and/or
property owners in Renton.
These nuisances are a financial burden on the City because repeated calls for
service, complaints or requests for investigations and/or inspections of
suspected nuisances require the time and resources of the City administration,
the Renton Police Department, the City Attorney Department and the court.
These nuisances include not only those on private residential properties, but also
those on private commercial properties that fail to provide adequate and
Properly trained security and/or supervision, which results in calls for service for
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ORDINANCE NO. 5769
incidents that could have been prevented or limited with adequate security
and/or supervision. Therefore, it is the purpose and intent of the City, in
enacting this Chapter, to ameliorate nuisances and hold those persons
responsible criminally and financially accountable.
It is also the T#e purpose of this Chapter +,—to provide the City's
representatives with the necessary powers to prevent, remedy and/or abate
nuisances and to charge those responsible for the abatement costs. This Chapter
is a reasonable and proper exercise of the City's police power with a rational
relationship toward fostering or preserving the public peace, safety, health,
morals or welfare, and it shall be liberally construed to effect this purpose. This
Chapter's remedies are not exclusive and remedies available under federal, state
or other local laws may also apply.
Consistent with RCW 35.80.030(7) (entitled Permissible Ordinances —
Appeal), the City of Renton is (a) prescribing minimum standards for the use and
occupancy of dwellings throughout the municipality, (b) prescribing minimum
standards for the use or occupancy of any building, structure, or premises used
for any other purpose, (c) preventing the use or occupancy of any dwelling,
building, structure, or premises, that is injurious to the public health, safety,
morals, or welfare, and (d) prescribing punishment for the violation of any
provision of such ordinance. Renton's authority includes but is not limited to
RCW 35A.21.160 which grants to code cities "all of the powers of which any city
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ORDINANCE N0. 5769
of any class may have" and RCW 35.22.280(30) which permits a city to declare
and abate nuisances, and to impose fines upon those responsible for nuisances.
Finally, to ensure that this section and any related section or subsection is
appropriately and lawfully applied with a fair and non-disparate impact on
members and segments of the community, the City of Renton declares that
chronic nuisance offenses and chronic nuisance calls for service shall not include
or apply to calls of victims or survivors of domestic violence sex-related
offenses, stalking, or any person requiring or requesting necessary medical
attention on their own behalf or on the behalf of another. Further, these
specified calls by or on behalf of victims or survivors of domestic violence sex-
related offenses, stalking, or those requiring or requesting necessary medical
attention shall not be a basis for the abatement or eviction of these specified
persons under this ordinance.
SECTION II. This ordinance shall be effective upon its passage, approval, and thirty
(30) calendar days after publication.
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL this 28th day of September , 2015.
— d "(" W�
Jasor Jh, City C erk
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ORDINANCE NO. 5769
APPROVED BY THE MAYOR this 28th day of September , 2015.
Denis Law, Mayor
Approved as to form: � �uunumu�ury
l OF RENT
Lawrence J. Warren, City Attorney SEAL
Date of Publication: 10/2/2015 (summary)
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