§ 1.24.020. Summons issuance for sanitation, litter control and animal control violations.

A.

All personnel of the metropolitan department of health who are assigned duties as enforcement officers, verified by job descriptions or otherwise in writing by the director of health in the areas of sanitation, litter control and animal control, and who are not empowered by Section 1.24.030 of this chapter to issue citations, are hereby authorized to issue ordinance summonses as provided by Tennessee Code Annotated, Sections 7-63-201, et seq., to any person they witness being or acting in violation of any ordinance, law or regulation of the metropolitan government. An ordinance summons shall be issued by leaving a copy with the offender, which ordinance summons must show the offense charged, the specific metropolitan code section or regulation involved, and the time and place for the offender to appear in court, and shall bear the signature of the offender evidencing service and agreement to appear in court.

B.

The ordinance summons shall be treated by the court in the same manner as a citation in lieu of arrest, as provided in Section 1.01.030 of this code.

C.

Should the offender refuse to sign the ordinance summons evidencing agreement to appear in court, the municipal enforcement officer may cause a summons to issue by the clerk of the metropolitan general sessions court, or seek the assistance of a metropolitan police officer or peace officer, who may issue a citation in lieu of arrest pursuant to Section 1.24.030 of this code.

D.

Should the offender fail to appear for court after proper issuance and service of an ordinance summons, the metropolitan general sessions court shall issue a warrant for failure to appear, which shall be a separate offense.

(Ord. 95-1329 § 2 (part), 1995; Ord. 89-832 § 1, 1989)