We need your help to improve our City by reporting blight conditions to the Police Department AND by taking pride in your property to ensure you are not contributing to blight.

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Historical Perspective - There are blight conditions that exist at many properties scattered throughout the city of Eveleth. Consequently, these properties have a negative impact on their neighborhoods and the city as a whole. These blighted properties are hazardous and are a public nuisance. Al of these blighted properties are in violation of the Eveleth City Code, regulation of blight conditions. Blighted properties have existed for as long as Eveleth has been a city, but in the last 10 years the number of blighted properties has grown exponentially. The city has attempted to address these blight issues in a number of different ways. Some of those attempts resulted in a degree of success, but not over a long sustained period of time.

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Moving Forward - The number one goal for the Mayor & City Council is the elimination of blight in the city. Each year, we receive numerous complaints about blighted properties in the city.

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Do you have "stuff" t o get rid of? - Consider disposing of it by: bringing to the St. Louis County landfill; consider donating it to a charity or thrift store for re-use; dropping off at the city refuse collection site at the city garage during Spring and Fall Cleanup; or rent a dump truck from the City (you pay a small rental fee and the cost of disposal). Check the city's or St. Louis County's website for information on what can be disposed.

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How enforcement of the City's blight ordinance generally works:

• Properties that are not in compliance are identified through police officer patrol efforts, or via an officer inspecting a property after receiving a citizen's complaint about the property.

• Property owners not in compliance are identified and a "Demand to Correct a Blight Condition" is mailed to the owner. The conditions that need to be corrected are specified on this form. The property owner is given ten business days to correct the violation. After the ten-day period has elapsed, an officer will recheck the property for compliance.

• If the violation has not been corrected, an officer will issue a summons to the violator, specifying the date that the violator must appear in court. The officer will then testify in court as needed.

• If a violator corrects the violation prior to the specified court date, the charge will typically be dismissed. Repeat offenders will likely not have the opportunity to have the charge dismissed.

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Commonly enforced blight provisions:
 

Refuse. Storage. Chapter 10. Sect. 10.01. Ref. Sec. 10.99. In all areas, it is unlawful for any person to store refuse...except in properly designed, closed containers...for more than one week. The term "refuse" includes all organic material... resulting from the preparation or serving of food...spoiled and waste foods...bottles, cans, glassware, paper, ashes, old clothing, tree and lawn clippings, leaves, weeds, except human waste or waste from building construction demolition. Transporting. Chapter 3. Sect. 3.40. Subd. 2. Ref. Sec. 3.99. It is unlawful for any person to transport refuse on any street unless it is carried in a vehicle equipped with a leak-proof body or container and completely covered with a heavy canvas or top to prevent loss of contents. Dumping in streets. Chapter 7. Sect. 7.06. Subd. 3. Ref. Sec. 7.99. It is a misdemeanor for any person to throw or deposit in any street any nails, dirt, glass, or tree limbs, paper or paper products, shreds, rubbish, oil, grease, or other petroleum products.
 

Animal Waste. Chapter 10. Sect. 10.05. Subd. 2. Para. A,B,C. Ref. Sec. 10.99. It is unlawful for any owner to A: permit an animal to defecate upon public property, or the private property of another, without immediately removing the excrement and disposing of it in a sanitary manner; B: permit an animal to be on the private property of another unless such animal is in the custody of a person of suitable age and discretion having in his/her possession equipment and supplies for excrement removal; C: permit animal excrement to accumulate for a period in excess of seven (7) days on premises occupied by him/her without removal and sanitary disposal.
 

Maintenance of Private Property. Chapter 10. Sect. 10.21. Subd. 1. Ref. Sec. 10.99. It is the primary responsibility of any owner or occupant of any lot or parcel of land to maintain any weeds or grass growing thereon at a height of not more than six inches; to remove all public health or safety hazards therefrom; to install or repair water service lines upon any property which is improved with commercial or habitable structures; and to treat or remove insect infested or diseased trees thereon.
 

Duty of Private Property Owner to Cut Grass and Weeds and Maintain Trees and Shrubs. Chapter 7. Sect. 7.08. Subd. 3. Ref. Sec. 7.99. Every owner of property abutting on any street shall cause the grass and weeds to be cut from the line of such property nearest to such street to the center of such street. If the grass or weeds in such a place attain a height in excess of six (6) inches it shall be prima facie evidence of a failure to comply with this Subdivision. Every owner of property abutting on any street shall, subject to the provision herein requiring a permit therefor, trim, cut, and otherwise maintain all trees and shrubs from the line of such property nearest to such street to the center of such street.
 

Unlicensed Junk Vehicles. Chapter 10. Sect. 10.22, Subd. 2. Paragraph A. Ref Sec. 10.99. It is unlawful to park or store any unlicensed, unregistered or inoperable motor vehicle, parts of motor vehicles, automobiles, trucks, trailers, motorcycles, motorbikes, go-carts, snow machines, campers, ATV's, buses
 

Household Junk. Chapter 10. Sect. 10.22. Subd. 2. Paragraph A. Ref. Sec. 10.99. It is unlawful to store any household furniture, furnishings, or appliances or parts of components thereof, or scrap metal, wood, glass, paper, rubber, concrete, or other material on private property unless such accumulation is stored within a lawfully operated junk yard, housed within a lawfully erected building, or in a container permitted, and the contents disposed of, under provisions of the City Code.
 

VIOLATION A MISDEMEANOR. Every person violates a section, subdivision, paragraph or provision of the City Code when he/she performs an act thereby prohibited or declared unlawful, or fails to act when such failure is thereby prohibited or declared unlawful by a Code adopted by reference, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished as for a misdemeanor except as otherwise stated in specific provisions hereof.

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