Scavengers
Sec. 18-34. License and bond required.
Every scavenger or person who shall engage in the business of cleaning privy vaults, cesspools, or water closets shall first pay the city clerk a license fee of $25.00 per year, to be paid on or before April 1 of each year. Each such person shall also give bond in the sum of $200.00 with approved securities for the faithful performance of their duties.
Sec. 18-35. Period, revocation of license.
The city clerk may refuse to allow licenses to be granted to any scavenger or vault cleaner who may be deemed, in his discretion, an unfit and improper person. The city clerk may revoke a license so granted to any person who shall fail to comply with all the requirements of this article.
Sec. 18-36. Charges for cleaning vaults.
The charges for scavenger work in the city shall be as follows:
(a) Forty-five cents per cubic foot where no carrying from vault to vehicle is necessary.
(b) Fifty-five cents per cubic foot where it is necessary to carry the contents from vault to
vehicle.
(c) The minimum charge for each vault cleaned shall be $5.00.
Sec. 18-37. Charge for cleaning septic tanks and cesspools.
The charge for cleaning septic tanks and cesspools shall be $0.45 per cubic foot of contents removed.
Sec. 18-38. Avoidance of offensive sights and smells.
Diligence and care shall be exercised in all cases to avoid all offensive sights and smells relating to the cleaning of septic tanks and cesspools.
Sec. 18-39. Contents to be transported in air- and water-tight tanks or vessels only.
Night soil and the contents of cesspools shall be transported in air- and water-tight tanks or vessels only, which must be so constructed and used as to avoid all offensive sights and smells and to prevent any deposit of the contents on any sidewalk or pavement.
Sec. 18-40. Contents to be transported during certain hours.
Vehicles transporting night soil and the contents of cesspools shall not be driven through the business district of the city between sunrise and sunset except upon permission in writing from the city administrator or his designee.
Sec. 18-41. Work to be continued without interruption or delay until completed.
When work on any vault or cesspool is commenced, it shall be carried out without interruption or delay until the work is completed, the vault or cesspool thoroughly emptied and cleaned and the premises restored to as good condition as before the work was undertaken.
Sec. 18-42. Deposit in city.
No night soil or contents of any vault or cesspool shall be deposited within the city except at such places as may be designated by the board of health.
Sec. 18-43. Records to be kept; reports.
Every scavenger shall keep a record of all work contracted for and of all work done, showing the name of the owner of the premises, the street number, when the works is to be done and when done. He shall, by September 1 each year, file with the city clerk a report of all work done and contracted for, with a copy of all entries made.
Sec. 18-44. Obedience to requests for service.
Every scavenger or vault cleaner, at the request of the owner or occupant of any premises within the city on which is situated any privy vault, cesspool, or water closet, shall remove the contents of such vault, pool or closet; provided, that when any such request is made, such scavenger or vault cleaner shall not be obliged to perform the services required until paid therefor at the rates specified in this article.
Sec. 18-45. Health officer may order cleaning.
The health officer, whenever he shall deem it expedient on behalf of the public health or whenever any privy vault, cesspool or water closet shall be filled within two feet of the surface of the ground, shall order the owner, lessee or occupant of the premises upon which is situated any such privy vault, cesspool or water closet to have the contents of same removed.
Sec. 18-46. Failure to clean.
(a) Whenever any person owning, leasing or occupying any premises within the city on which is situated any privy vault, cesspool or water closet or whenever the agent of any such owner, lessee or occupant shall be notified by the health officer to have the contents of any such privy vault, cesspool or water closet removed, it shall be the duty of the person so notified to forthwith request some regularly licensed scavenger or vault cleaner who has complied with the requirements of this article to remove such contents and, if demanded by such scavenger or vault cleaner, such person shall pay in advance the expense of such removal, computed at the rate provided in this article.
(b) Upon the failure or refusal of any person notified by the health officer to have the contents of any privy vault, cesspool or water closet removed, the health officer shall cause the same to be removed by some licensed scavenger or vault cleaner and the expense of such removal shall be collected by the city by special assessment against the premises on which any such privy vault, cesspool or water closet is situated.
Sec. 18-47. Collection of unpaid bills.
Whenever any scavenger work shall remain unpaid for a period of 30 days, the city clerk shall file with the county auditor a certified list of such unpaid work, showing the names of the persons, the description of the property and the amount due. The same shall be placed upon the tax list or books of the county by the auditor and be collected as provided by law. Whenever scavenger work shall not be paid for within a period of 30 days from the time of the presentation of a bill for the same, a penalty of 15percent shall be added to the amount due, and the same shall be certified by the clerk and filed with the county auditor, together with the original amount, as stated in this section.