Code Enforcement

Struthers Code Enforcement

Created in 2020 and pursuant to City Ordinance 20-019, the Code Enforcement Director shall enforce any and all ordinances or resolutions of the City relating to the maintenance of residential and commercial property within the City unless the enforcement of said ordinances and resolutions is specifically delegated to the Safety Service Director(SSD), in which case the SSD may designate the enforcement to the Code Enforcement Director.

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The Code Enforcement Director shall take steps to cause the correction of, and compliace with, any City ordinace or resolution under the Code Enforcement Director's jurisdiction. These steps include, but are not limited to:

  • Site Inspections
  • Warnings
  • Written directions to correct a violation
  • Filing, with the assistance of the Law Director, court actions to enforce any ordinance or resolution

For purposes of making inspections, the Code Enforcement Director shall have the right to enter upon any property at reasonable times to make inspections to determine whether or not a violation of a City ordinance or resolution exists.

The Code Enforcement Director is also responsible for ensuring that all landlords within the City limits are registered with the City and that all occupants of rental properties are likewise registered.



Frequently Asked Questions

Pursuant to the City of Struthers Codified Ordinance 521.15, section A, No owner, lessee, tenant and/or responsible local agent of any real property within the City, and/or any other person having charge of any real property within the City, shall allow the property's grass to grow in excess of six (6) inches in height.

If the property's grass grows in excess of six (6) inches in violation of subsection (a) hereof, the Safety-Service Director shall cause such grass to be cut and/or removed and may employ the necessary labor to perform the task. A fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00) will be assessed to the owner of the property for each individual lot whose size is 12,000 square feet or less. For those lots that exceed 12,000 square feet, the fee assessed to the owner will be one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) or the actual expense incurred by the City to remediate the violation, whichever is more. All expenses incurred shall, when approved by Council, be paid out of any money in the Treasury of the City.

Read the full ordinance here

Lawn and leaf bags are available for free from City Hall. You can place your clippings, trimmings, etc. inside these bags or you can place them loosely or binded on the curb and the City will pick them up and dispose them for free. You can place them on the curb on your normal trash pick up day or call City Hall for pick up.

Absolutely! Republic Trash Services will pick up large items for free. However, you must contact them prior to placing the item(s) on the curb for pickup. No item may left on the curb more than 24 hours before scheduled pick up.

Please contact Republic Services for a comprehensive list of items that can or cannot be disposed of.

It is the responsibility of the owner of the parcel that the tree resides on to maintain trees. This includes trimming or cutting back any trees, shrubbery, weeds, grass, or any growth that:

  • Deteriorates or debases the appearance of the neighborhood;
  • Adversely alters the appearance and general character of the neighborhood;
  • Creates a safety or health hazard or public nuisance;
  • Obstructs traffic by preventing a clear or unobstructed view from all the directions at any street intersection; or
  • Otherwise affects life, limb, or property of persons, operators of motor vehicles, or pedestrians using any street or public sidewalk.

You can read the full ordinance here

Yes. Pursuant to Codified Ordinance 951.06, Section 2, Each individual or group of individuals or family domiciled in a residential unit shall be required to contract with the City's designated trash collection contractor for the removal of any trash, garbage, rubbish or other refuse if produced by such residential unit. It shall be a violation of this section for the occupants of two or more residential units to combine trash, garbage or rubbish or other refuse for the purpose of defrauding the designated contractor, unless separate commercial service is provided by the owner of rental properties.

No property owner or person to whom a motor vehicle is registered shall park, or allow to be parked, a motor vehicle upon any lawn, grass or landscaped area unless the area is connected with the driveway and is graded and has a hard surface of granulated material, asphalt, Portland cement, concrete, brick or decorative stone.

The Safety Service Director may permit a motor vehicle to be parked in violation of (a) of this section for moving to or from a residence, for family gatherings, when the vehicle is an emergency vehicle being used during an emergency, and when the vehicle is a construction vehicle being used for remodeling or repair work at the property. Exemptions may be granted only after the Safety Service Director or Code Enforcement Director personally inspects said residence.

No Recreational Vehicle or Boat shall be stored, parked or left on any public streets, roadways, alleys, public ways or thoroughfares in the City.
  • (a) No person shall use any premises in the City for storing, parking or otherwise keeping unlicensed, abandoned, disabled or otherwise inoperable vehicles and equipment or other objects of an unsightly nature.
  • (b) Any person who covers or stores a vehicle is not permitted to use tarps, blankets or anything of the sort not designed specifically for covering and storing a vehicle and only covers designed specifically for the purpose of covering or storing a vehicle are permitted.
  • (c) "Inoperable vehicles and equipment" means any motor vehicle, apparatus or equipment which is not in operating condition or which has no value except for salvage or junk purposes, or has any of the following conditions exist, one or more wheels are missing, one or more tires are missing, one or more tires are flat, one or more windows are missing or broken, the windshield is shattered or missing, parts necessary for the vehicles operation are missing or a license with a distinctive number and valid for the current year is not displayed thereon.
  • (d) "Storage, parking or otherwise keeping" means storing, parking, standing or otherwise keeping one or more vehicles, equipment or other objects in any place other than in an enclosed garage or accessory building for a period in excess of two weeks.
  • (e) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor on the first offense; on the second offense, such person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.

All dwelling structures and the premises thereof shall be maintained free from sources of breeding, harborage and infestation of insects, vermin and rodents.

No owner, operator or resident agent of any premises shall maintain or permit to be maintained at or on the exterior property areas of such premises any condition which deteriorates or debases the appearance of the neighborhood, reduces property values in the neighborhood, adversely alters the appearance and general character of the neighborhood, creates a fire, safety or health hazard or which is a public nuisance. Such conditions include but are not limited to the following:

  • (a) Broken or dilapidated fences, walls or other structures;
  • (b) Out of use or nonusable appliances, machinery and equipment;
  • (c) Rugs, rags or other materials hung on lines or in other places on the premises, which materials are not being used for general housekeeping purposes;
  • (d) Broken, dilapidated, or unusable furniture, mattresses or other furniture, broken glass, plastic material, paints, miscellaneous coverings and/or any other materials including those described in this section, placed at or on the premises in such a manner as to be patently unsightly, grotesque or offensive to the senses;
  • (e) No building material or materials, earth, sand or dirt intended for use in landscaping, gardening or construction and except as permitted herein, shall be left standing open or covered upon any premises for a period of time not to exceed one month without specific written authorization from the Safety Service Director or other designated official;
  • (f) Drainage Swales. Swales are to be maintained by the owners of the parcels on which they are located, and at no time will anyone plant shrubs, and/or trees, or discharge, empty, or place any material, fill or waste into any swale so as to divert or impede drainage flow. Small swales can be mowed as part of the yard. Larger swales in meadow situations should be mowed less frequently in order to allow grasses to grow taller to retard runoff and prevent erosion. Swales in woodland areas should be left in their natural condition leaving the understory to retard runoff and prevent erosion.
  • (g) Open storage of contractors equipment, such as snow plows, commercial lawn equipment, digging units, bailing equipment, earth moving equipment, or any undescribed equipment as deemed undesirable by the Safety Service Director that is not primarily used to maintain residential property.
  • (a) No person being the owner or having charge of cattle, sheep, geese, ducks, turkeys, chickens or other fowl or animals shall permit them to run at large upon any public place, or upon any unenclosed lands or upon the premises of another.
  • (b) No person being the owner of or having charge of any dog, whether wearing a registration tag or not, shall permit it to run at large upon any public place or upon the premises of another. No owner, keeper or harborer of any female dog shall permit such dog to go beyond the premises of such owner or keeper at any time such dog is in heat, unless such dog is properly in leash. The owner or keeper of every dog shall at all times keep such dog either confined upon the premises of the owner or keeper, or under reasonable control of some person. (ORC 955.22)
  • (c) The running at large of any such animal in or upon any of the places mentioned in this section is prima-facie evidence that it is running at large in violation of this section. (ORC 951.02)
  • (d) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
Bill Minchin, Code Enforcement Director

Bill Minchin

Code Enforcement Director