DURANT – The City of Durant posted on its Facebook page this weekend its intention to begin ‘identifying and notifying residents to remove health nuisances.’ The enforcement is to start on Monday, Nov. 16.
Description of what defines a health nuisance was not given, but questions were directed to the Community Development Department and the phone number given is (580) 931-6610.
Here is the text of the Code, which is a part of Oklahoma Statute – Title 63, involving public health and safety:
§ 95.64 HEALTH NUISANCES; ABATEMENT.
(A) Pursuant to authority granted by 63 O.S. § 1-1011, the Health Officer shall have authority to order the owner or occupant of any private premises in the city to remove from such premises, at his or her own expense, any source of filth, cause of sickness, condition conducive to the breeding of insects or rodents that might contribute to the transmission of disease or any other condition adversely affecting the public health within 24 hours or within such other time as may be reasonable, and a failure to do so shall constitute an offense. The order shall be in writing and may be served personally on the owner or occupant of the premises, or authorized agent thereof, by the Health Officer or by a police officer or a copy thereof may be left at the last usual place of abode of the owner, occupant or agent, if known and within the state. If the premises are unoccupied and the residence of the owner, occupant or agent is unknown, or is without the state, the order may be served by posting a copy thereof on the premises or by publication in at least one issue of a newspaper having a general circulation in the city.
(B) If the order is not complied with, the Health Officer may cause the order to be executed and complied with, and the cost thereof shall be certified to the City Clerk, and the cost of removing or abating such nuisance shall be added to the water bill or other city utility bill of the owner or occupant if he or she is a user of water from the city water system or such other utility service. The cost shall be treated as a part of such utility bill to which it is added and shall become due and payable and be subject to the same regulations relating to delinquency in payment as the utility bill itself. If such owner or occupant is not a user of any city utility service, such cost, after certification to the City Clerk, may be collected in any manner in which any other debt due the city may be collected. (`93 Code, § 8-411)
Statutory reference: Enforcement, abatement of health nuisances by city, see 63 O.S. § 1-1011