HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 2206 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 2206
Jul 6 1973
epi f Rrp To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Y
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"rtX . Subject: ABANDONED REFRIGERATOR ORDINANCE
1073
The City Council at its meeting on June 11, 1973, requested the staff
to review the Abandoned Refrigerator Ordinance to determine if it
provided the City with sufficient regulatory powers to cope with the
problem of abandoned refrigerators and freezers. After reviewing the
Abandoned Refrigerator Ordinance, it is the staff's opinion that the
ordinance as written is sufficient to regulate the problem of discard-
ed refrigerators, ice boxes, and similar containers. The ordinance
does not place responsibility of enforcement on any one department
within the City. The Health Department, the Police Department, the
Building Inspection Division, and the Fire Department all have enforce-
ment authority. These departments can, through their routine inspec-
tion and patrol duties, require people with such appliances around
their residence or place of business to render these items safe. After
notification, if they have not been rendered safe, citations can be
issued for violation of the ordinance.
The only problem which has been encountered relative to enforcing the
existing ordinance is in locating all of the discarded refrigerators,
ice boxes and freezers, and in many cases determining who is respons-
ible for them once they are located. When items have been found on
private property and the owner of the property can be located, there
has been no problem in getting the doors or locks removed, thereby,
eliminating the hazard of children being locked in. There have been
many of these items which have been discarded in out-of-the-way places,
many times on public property. Unless someone is actually caught in
the act of disposing of such items, there is no way of finding out who
is responsible for them. When members of the Health Department locate
such an abandoned refrigerator, they are under standing orders to
remove the lock, thus immediately rendering the refrigerator safe.
In summary, it is the staff's opinion that the present Abandoned
Refrigerator Ordinance is sufficient to provide for proper enforcement.
The only problem thus encountered is in locating many of the refrigera-
tors and freezers which have been abandoned and in some instances when
they have been located in determining who is responsible for them.
* * * * * * * * * *
If the City Council desires any additional information on this matter,
it will be supplied upon request.
Respectfully submitted,
R. N. Line
City Manager
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ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS