§ 28-1. Definitions.

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Abandoned motor vehicle means any motor vehicle which does not have lawfully affixed thereto both an unexpired license plate and a current motor vehicle license issued by the village for village residents, and the condition of which motor vehicle is wrecked, dismantled, partially dismantled, inoperative and apparently abandoned or discarded.

Administrative citation means a citation issued when voluntary compliance is not obtained within a reasonable time.

Code enforcement officer means the village's code enforcement officer or authorized representatives of the code enforcement officer.

dB(A) means decibels shown in a reading made on the dB(A) scale.

Decibel (dB) means a unit for measuring the volume of a sound, equal to 20 times the logarithm to the base ten of the ratio of the pressure of the sound measured to the reference pressure, which is 20 micropascals (20 micronewtons per square meter).

Department head means the head of the building department, the fire chief, the police chief or their authorized representatives.

Graffiti means any sign, symbol, marking, drawing, name, initial, word, diagram, sketch, picture or letter placed, without the express, written permission of the owner, upon the real or personal property of the owner.

Highway means any road, street, alley, way or place of whatever nature, publicly maintained and opened to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel. The term "highway" includes village streets.

Infected trees means elm trees infected with Dutch elm disease; ash trees infected with emerald ash borer (Agrilus Planipennus Fairmaire).

Inoperative vehicle means any vehicle which cannot be legally operated on the street because of lack of current registration, lack of an engine, transmission, wheels, tires, windshield or any other part of equipment necessary to operate on public streets or highways.

Junk means any cast-off, damaged, discarded, junked, obsolete, salvage, scrapped, unusable, worn-out or wrecked object, thing or material, including but not limited to those composed in whole or in part of asphalt, brick, carbon, cement, plastic or other synthetic substance, fiber, glass, plaster, plaster of Paris, rubber, terra cotta, wool, cotton, cloth, canvas, wood, metal, sand, organic matter or other substance.

Junkyard means any premises on which any junk is abandoned, bailed, bartered, bought, brought, bundled, deposited, disassembled, disposed of, exchanged, handled, kept, stored or transported, regardless of whether or not such activity is done for profit.

Lien cost means the removal cost and the filing costs for any notice of lien under this chapter.

Notice and order means legal notice that details structural or technical code violations such as illegal construction, conversions, alterations, illegal plumbing, mechanical or electrical installations, dangerous buildings, substandard housing or similar.

Noxious weeds. Weeds are defined as Canada Thistles (Cirsium Arvense) and all its varieties, Perennial Snow Thistles (Sonchus Arvensis), European Bindweek (Convolvulus Arvemsis), Leafy Spurge (Tithmyalus Esula), Russian Knapweed (Centaurea Repens), Hoary Cress (Lepidium Dra ba), Ragweed (Ambrosia), Dandelion Weed, Jimson Weed, Burdock, Cockleburs and like weeds, as well as any other wild, uncultivated or uncontrolled growth of vegetation or any weed as specified by state law.

Owner means owner of record of real property, occupant, lessee, or interested holder in same, as the case may be including the owner of real property whereon a vehicle or parts thereof is located.

Premises means any real property or improvements thereon.

Removal activity means any abatement activity for which a removal cost is incurred.

Removal cost means a removal cost as defined under 65 ILCS 5/11-20-7 (cutting and removal of neglected weeds, grass, trees and bushes), 5/11-20-8 (pest extermination), 5/11-20-12 (removal of infected trees) or 5/11-20-13 (removal of garbage, debris and graffiti).

Sound-level meter means an instrument used for measurement of the intensity of sound and accurately calibrated in decibels, with readings made on a dB(A) scale.

Sound pressure means the average rate at which sound energy is transmitted through a unit area in a specified direction.

Underlying parcel means a parcel of private property upon which an abatement activity was performed.

Vehicle means any device by which any person or property may be propelled, moved, or drawn upon a highway, excepting a device moved exclusively by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks.

Visual blight is any unreasonable, nonpermitted or unlawful condition or use of real property, premises or of building exteriors that, by reason of its appearance as viewed from the public right-of-way, is detrimental to the property of others or to the value of property of others, offensive to the senses, or reduces the aesthetic appearance of the neighborhood.

Year means a 365-day period.

(Code 1978, §§ 10-3-19(A), 11-2-1; Code 1997, §§ 38-32, 38-56, 38-62(h), 50-106, 50-315(4), 86-151; Ord. No. 04-09-13, §§ 1—5, 10-5-2004; Ord. No. 10-02-12, § 1, 2-16-2010)