Ordinance No. 2004-017 to Control Community Decay
Ordinance No. 2004-017 was adopted on September 7, 2004 and replaces Ordiance No. 93-01. It clarifies the definition of community decay, provides reasonable remedies for resolving violations, and adds the Compliance Department as the lead Department for administering the Ordinance.
What is Community Decay?
Community Decay is defined as a public nuisance created by allowing rubble, debris, junk or refuse to accumulate resulting in conditions that are injurious to health, indecent, offensive to the senses or which obstruct the free use of property so as to interfere with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property.
A person is violating the Community Decay Ordinance when they own or maintain any public nuisance that results in community decay visible from a public roadway.
Material that may constitute community decay includes, but is not limited to, bricks, concrete, wood, cardboard, paper, pallets, tires, dead animals/animal parts, dirt, demolition waste, junk vehicles, wrecked trailers, iron, metal, machine parts, appliances, and barrels.
Enforcement and Penalties
Gallatin County may order a violator to clean up a site, or shield the community decay from view. If the site is not brought into compliance, Gallatin County may undertake corrective action, and assess costs to the landowner. The County may also assess a violator fines of up to $500 per day of violation for noncompliance.
Violation of the Community Decay Ordinance constitutes a misdemeanor. A person convicted of a violation may be subject to penalties of up to $500. Each day of violation constitutes a separate offense and may be punishable as such.
How do I file a Community Decay complaint?
Fill out the complaint form below and send it to the Code Compliance Specialist at 311 West Main, Room 108, Bozeman, MT 59715.
| 
