Owatonna, Minn., Mun. Code Ch. 151 (2026) § 151.06

(A) Substandard buildings generally. Any building or portion thereof, or the premises on which the same is located, where violations of this code exist, or where the following listed conditions are present, to an extent that endangers the life, limb, health, property, welfare or safety of the public or the occupants thereof shall be deemed and is hereby declared to be a substandard building. All conditions noted below are regulated under the International Building Code and International Fire Code elsewhere adopted in this chapter.


(1) Dampness of habitable rooms.


(2) General dilapidation or improper maintenance.


(3) Deteriorated or inadequate foundations.


(4) Defective or deteriorated flooring or floor supports.


(5) Walls, partitions or other vertical supports that twist, lean or buckle.


(6) Roofs, ceilings or other horizontal members that sag or buckle.


(7) Fireplaces or chimneys that lean, crumble or settle.


(8) Maintenance of any public nuisance as defined in city ordinance or state statute.


(9) Maintenance of any nuisance which may be a safety hazard, including abandoned wells, shafts, basements, cisterns or excavations; abandoned refrigerators or motor vehicles; structurally unsound buildings or fences; or any lumber, trash, fence, debris or unlawful vegetation.


(10) Electrical wiring that does not conform to the law in effect at the time of installation or any wiring that is not maintained in good condition. Such conditions may include, but are not limited to broken wires, bare or frayed wires, broken or burned outlets and switches, missing cover plates, fuses rated for more than wiring, and bypassed or defeated fuses/circuit breakers.


(11) Deteriorated, crumbling or loose plaster or sheet rock.


(12) Deteriorated or ineffective weatherproofing of exterior walls, roof, foundations or floors, including broken windows or doors.


(13) Defective or lack of weather protection for exterior of structures, including lack of paint, or weathering due to lack of paint or other approved protective covering as provided herein. Exterior wood members treated with decay-resistant materials and designed to be left in an unpainted state are exempt from this requirement.


(14) Broken, rotted, split or buckled exterior wall coverings or roof covering.


(15) Any building or portion thereof, device, apparatus, equipment, combustible waste or vegetation which is in such condition as to cause fire or explosion or provide a ready fuel to augment the spread and intensity of any fire or explosion arising from any cause.


(16) Railings, banisters, decks, balconies, and stairways that are broken, not secure or constructed in such manner as to present a danger to those using such railing, banister, deck, balcony, or stairway.


(17) Inadequate heating, inadequate hot/cold running water, or lack of toilet, bath or shower facilities where required.


(B) Emergency orders. Whenever the City Fire Chief, or designee, finds that an emergency exists which requires immediate action to protect the public health and/or safety, the City Fire Chief, or designee, may, without notice or hearing, issue to the owner of property an order reciting the existence of such an emergency and requiring the owner to take such action as the City Fire Chief, or designee, deems necessary to meet the emergency. Notwithstanding the other provisions of the housing code, such order shall be effective immediately and any person to whom such order is directed shall comply therewith immediately, but upon petition to the City Fire Chief shall be afforded a hearing, granted by the City Board of Appeals. After such hearing, the city shall continue such order in effect, or modify it, or revoke it. Failure to request a hearing or take the action required by the order within five days of mailing or within three days of personal service of the order shall be a misdemeanor.


(1992 Code, § 460:06) (Ord. 1315, passed 5-20-2003; Ord. passed - -)