1. Etowah Codes Officer 423-263-2202
shall be assessed against the owner of the property at a minimum charge of $75. Upon the filing of the notice with the Office of the Register of Deeds for McMinn County, the costs shall be a lien on the property in favor of the municipality, second only to liens of the state, county and municipality for taxes, any lien of the municipality for special assessments and any valid lien, right or interest in such property duly recorded and perfected by filing prior to the filing of such notice. These costs shall be placed on the tax rolls of the municipality as a lien and shall be added to property tax bills to be collected at the same time and in the same manner as property taxes are collected. If the owner fails to pay the costs, they may be collected at the same time and in the same manner as delinquent property taxes are collected and shall be subject to the same penalty and interest as delinquent property taxes.
(3) Remedies not exclusive. The remedies provided in this chapter are not exclusive or in lieu of other rights and remedies that the city may have. The Codes Enforcement Officer, in the exercise of reasonable discretion, may elect to issue a citation, notice of violation or to clean up the property at the owner’s expense.
(D) Notice to property owner. All notices by the Codes Enforcement Officer served upon the owner of record in violation of the provisions of this section, shall state in plain language.
City of Etowah
Tennessee
91.08 Unlawful Disposal of Rubbish
In complying with Chapter 91 of the Etowah City Municipal Code is shall be unlawful for any person owning, leasing, occupying or having control of property in the City of Etowah to rake up, cut up, or pile-up said weeds, grass, vegetation, dead or broken tree limbs, dead trees, miscellaneous debris including any and all construction debris into any ditch nor natural drain, right of ways, alley ways, sidewalks or at any place that might obstruct the flow of storm water drainage.
Approved debris shall be separated by brush/vegetation or manmade materials; said materials are to be placed 3 to 5 feet from curb or edge of pavement.
As to the disposal of construction debris reference Title V: Public Works Chapter 50 subsection Construction and Remodeling material: Mobile Construction Trailers.
Etowah Codes Officer
Community Information
For
Chapter 91 – Health and
Sanitation; Nuisances
Disposal of Rubbish and
City Hall
723 Ohio Ave
Etowah, TN 37331
Phone:
Business Hours:
8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Monday - Friday

2. CHAPTER 91: HEALTH AND SANITATION; NUISANCES
PUBLIC OFFICER; ENFORCEMENT. The Public Officer shall be such municipal, county or state officer as the City Manager shall appoint or designate to administer and enforce health and sanitation regulations within the city.
SMOKE, SOOT, CINDERS AND THE LIKE. It shall be a civil offense for any person to permit or cause the escape of such quantities of dense smoke, soot, cinders, noxious acids, fumes, dust or gases as to be detrimental to or to endanger the health, comfort and safety of the public or so as to cause or have a tendency to cause injury or damage to property or business.
STAGNANT WATER. It shall be a civil offense for any person to knowingly allow any pool of stagnant water to accumulate and stand on his or her property without treating it so as effectively to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes.
WEEDS. (A) Cutting grass and weeds; civil offense. Every owner or tenant of property shall periodically cut the grass and other vegetation commonly recognized as weeds on his or her property, and it shall be a civil offense for any person to fail to comply with an order by the Codes Enforcement Officer to cut such vegetation when it has reached a height of over one foot.
(B) Prohibited vegetation.
(1) It shall be unlawful for any property owner, occupant, or person in control of any lot or parcel of land within the city to fail to eradicate on any such lot or parcel of land any noxious weeds, ragweed, poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, thistle,, kudzu or any random invasive privet hedge. A weed may be added to or deleted from the list of noxious weeds by resolution of the City Commission.
(2) Such noxious weeds may be destroyed by cutting or removal, by spraying with a chemical compound/herbicide, by plowing under, or by such other method as recommended by the University of Tennessee Agriculture Extension Office.
DEAD ANIMALS. Any person owning or having possession of any dead animal not intended for use as food shall promptly bury the same or notify the Public Officer and dispose of such animal in such manner as the Public Officer shall direct.
HEALTH AND SANITATION NUISANCES. It shall be a civil offense for any person to permit any premises owned, occupied or controlled by him or her to become or remain in a filthy condition, or permit the use or occupation of same in such a manner as to create noxious or offensive smells and odors in connection therewith, or to allow the accumulation or creation of unwholesome and offensive matter or the breeding of flies, rodents or other vermin on the premises to the menace of the public health or the annoyance of people residing within the vicinity.
OVERGROWN AND DIRTY LOTS (A) Prohibition. Pursuant to the authority granted to municipalities under Tenn. Code Ann. § , it shall be unlawful for any owner of record of real property to create, maintain or permit to be maintained on such property the growth of trees, vines, grass, underbrush and/or the accumulations of debris, trash, litter or garbage or any of the preceding elements so as to endanger the health, safety or welfare of other citizens or to encourage the infestation of rats and other harmful animals.
(B) Application. The provisions of this section shall apply to any and all parcels of property located within the corporate limits of the city. There shall be no limitation upon the application of this section.
(C) Violation.
(1) (a) Citation. It shall be unlawful for any property owner to create, maintain or permit the growth of trees, vines, grass, underbrush or the accumulation of debris, trash, litter or garbage or any combination of the preceding elements that would endanger the health, safety or welfare of other citizens, or encourage the infestation of rats and other harmful insects and animals. The officer is authorized to issue a citation (to be served in the same manner as the notice set out below) for violations of this section and shall give notice to the property owner to appear and answer the charges against him, her or them in municipal court.
(b) Civil penalty. Any person violating this section shall be subject to a civil penalty of $50 plus court costs for each separate violation of this section. Each day the violation of this section continues shall be considered a separate violation.
(2) Clean up at property owner’s expense. If the property owner of record fails or refuses to remedy the condition within five to 30 days excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays (the time periods established for compliance shall be at the discretion of the officer) after receiving a citation or notice of violation, the officer shall immediately cause the condition to be remedied or removed at a cost in conformity with reasonable standards, and the cost thereof