Section 8.82.010 Purpose and intent.

  The city council of Sioux City is enacting this ordinance to help prevent the spread of graffiti vandalism and to establish a program for the removal of graffiti from public and private property.  The city council is authorized to enact this ordinance pursuant to its police powers, as specified in Section 1.10.040 of the City Charter and Chapter 364 of the Code of Iowa that authorize the city, under certain circumstances, to provide for the removal of graffiti from private and public property.
    The city council finds that graffiti is a public nuisance and destructive of the rights and values of property owners as well as the entire community.  Unless the city acts to remove graffiti from public and private property, the graffiti tends to remain.  Other properties then become the target of graffiti, and entire neighborhoods are affected and become less desirable places in which to be, all to the detriment of the city.
    The city council intends, through the adoption of this ordinance, to provide additional enforcement tools to protect public and private property from acts of graffiti vandalism and defacement.  (Ord. No. 2006-0203)