ORDINANCE NO. IV.5

 

UNIFORM RURAL ADDRESS SYSTEM OF TAMA COUNTY, IOWA

 

Be It Enacted by the Board of Supervisors of Tama County, Iowa:

 

SECTION 1.

 

Purpose.  This ordinance mandates the use of a uniform rural address system for residents of Tama County in order to promote the convenience, safety and general welfare of those residents and provides for a penalty.

 

SECTION 2.

 

Definitions.  For use in this ordinance, the following terms or words shall be interpreted or defined as follows:

 

1.      “Person” shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, incorporated association or other entity.

 

2.      “Subdivision” shall mean the division of a tract of land into separate lots or parcels for the purpose of transfer of ownership or building development.

 

3.      “Building” shall mean a roofed and/or walled structure built for permanent use.

 

4.      “Base Map” shall mean the map used by the agency coordinating the uniform rural address system in Tama County.  Such a map shall indicate all addresses in Tama County subject to the provisions of this ordinance.

 

5.      “Engineer” shall mean the Tama County Engineer.

 

6.      “EMA” shall mean the Tama County Emergency Management Agency/ E911 Coordinator, Communication Supervisor.

 

7.      “Landowner” shall mean the person who owns the property or is acting for the owner as a property manager.

 

8.      “Emergency Communication” shall mean any telephone call or radio transmission to 911 requesting immediate response from a fire department, ambulance service or law enforcement agency when human life or property is in jeopardy and prompt summoning of aid is essential.

 

SECTION 3.

 

Establishment by Resolution.  The Board shall, by resolution, establish the type of uniform rural address system to be used in Tama County.

 

 

SECTION 4.

 

Extent of System.  The uniform rural address system shall extend over the entire unincorporated areas of Tama County except for those areas which already have a system in place.

 

SECTION 5.

 

Implementation of System.  The Board shall direct the E911 Board to:

 

1.      Verify the accuracy of the base map that shall be used in the assignment of addresses.

 

2.      Make all necessary corrections and updates to that map.

 

3.      Assign addresses in accordance with the system selected by the Board.

 

4.      Purchase sign assembly materials which meet Iowa Department of Transportation specifications.

 

5.      Street and Avenue System Only.  Develop, print, and distribute rural reference maps for rural emergency providers, dispatchers, all county offices, emergency vehicles, the U.S. Post Offices as requested.  Such maps shall be available for sale to the general public.

 

6.      Set guidelines for rural resident signs as follows:

 

a)    Location of sign: On the county right-of-way, along the fence row, and on the same side of the road as the house building.  In no case shall the sign be closer than 15 feet from the edge of the road.  Sign must be visible from both directions of travel.

 

b)   Installation of Sign:

1)  The Landowner shall be responsible for installation of his own sign.

2)  Every house or building site shall have a sign.  If more than one house uses the same driveway, a sign shall be installed for each house.  (Any apartment Landowner shall be responsible to clearly mark each and every apartment with a separate number/letter at the entrance.)

3)  All signs shall be bolted on a 6 ft. steel post which is driven two feet in the ground.  See 6(a) above.

 

c)    Notification and Costs:

1)  All residents affected by this system have been notified and have signs in place.  The post offices are using the system.

2)  New residents will be notified of their E911 address by the EMA as requests are made.

3)    All costs for the initial sign and post are covered by the E911 Board with surcharge funds.

 

 

SECTION 6.

 

Road Markers for Street and Avenue System.  The Engineer shall supervise the installation of road identification markers at each road intersection in Tama County whereby the provisions of this ordinance apply.

 

SECTION 7.

 

House Numbers.  Tama County shall furnish for every house, business or building site situated on premises fronting any public way as provided in Section 4, the initial permanent marker on such premises indicating the assigned number.

       

Landowners that share the same driveway are required to mark their house with numbers matching the rural address assigned by the EMA.  These numbers should be at least 4 inches in height, placed a minimum of 6 feet above the ground, and be visible from the driveway directly leading to the building/house/dwelling. (this paragraph added as an amendment June 2, 1998)

 

The provisions of this ordinance shall not apply to accessory buildings but may apply to such buildings located on a separate unit of frontage if requested by the Landowner.

 

SECTION 8.

 

New Structures.  Every person erecting a building as set forth under the provisions of Section 7 of this ordinance but after the date the uniform rural address system becomes effective shall, within seven (7) days of commencement of construction, notify the EMA who shall within fourteen (14) days assign a number to such structure.  The provisions of Section 5 and Section 7 shall be applicable to any person subject to the provisions of this Section.

 

SECTION 9.

 

Maintenance of Uniform Rural Address System.

1.      The EMA shall be responsible for the continued maintenance of the uniform rural address system in Tama County.  These duties shall include:

a)    assignment of all new addresses.

b)   providing markers for new addresses.

c)    updating and issuing maps.

d)   making periodic checks of the rural areas of Tama County to insure that the provisions of this ordinance are being complied with.

e)    any other duties necessary to insure the continued maintenance of the uniform rural address system of Tama County.

 

2.      The Engineer shall be responsible for replacing street markers as needed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SECTION 10.

 

Penalty.  A fine of not more than $100 or by imprisonment of not more than 30 days may be imposed for the following offenses:

 

1.           Refusal to use the Uniform Rural Address System, or

 

2.      Removal, damaging, defacing, alteration or destruction of the Uniform Rural Address markers which indicate a premise's assigned number, or

 

3.      Removal, damaging, defacing, alteration or destruction of a rural road identification marker intentionally by one who as no right to so act, or

 

4.      Unauthorized possession of individual rural address signs or rural road identification markers, or

 

5.      Use of the 911 phone line for non-emergency communications and/ or failure to relinquish 911 phone line for emergency use and/or intentionally interfering with emergency communications.

 

The Landowner shall be responsible for notifying the EMA of said removal, damaging, defacing, alteration or destruction of a rural address marker within seven (7) days.  The Landowner is responsible for purchasing a replacement sign and post and for the proper installation thereof.

 

The EMA shall order the replacement sign and shall notify the Landowner when sign is received.  Landowner then has fourteen (14) days to install sign.

 

Additional Penalty:  In addition, any violation of this section shall be a county infraction which is punishable by a civil penalty of not more than $100 for each violation, or if the infraction is a repeat offense, a civil penalty not exceeding $200 for each repeat offense.

 

SECTION 11.

 

Repealer.  All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance are hereby repealed.

 

SECTION 12.

 

Severability Clause.  If any section, provision, or part of this ordinance shall be adjudged invalid or unconstitutional, such adjudication shall not affect the validity of the ordinance as a whole or any section, provision or part thereof not adjudged invalid or unconstitutional.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SECTION 13.

 

When Effective.  This ordinance shall be in effect after its final passage, approval and publication as provided by law.

 

Originally PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of Supervisors this 17th day of May, 1994.

 

Amended, PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of Supervisors this 2nd day of June, 1998.

 

ATTEST:

Jim Ledvina, Chairman                                     

Tama County Board of Supervisors                             

 

John Adams, County Auditor