Commonly Referenced Ordinances

Yard waste is non-composted tree trimmings, leaves, branches, shrubs, grass clippings and other products, or by-products of vegetative growth. Burning of yard waste is permitted during the months of March, April, September, October and November, e.g. MASON. No burning is permitted upon any public street, alley or right-of-way and no closer than 30 feet from the nearest building and/or 10 feet from any inhabited area, roadway, property line or utility. All fires must be continually watched until all ashes or burning embers are completely extinguished.

Fires are permitted from sun-up until 5 PM, Monday through Saturday.

All fires must be completely extinguished.

• Fires for recreational purposes, such as cookouts and camping are permitted at any time with no permit.
• Only clean dry wood products are to be burned. No treated or painted lumber is permitted.
• Fire size is limited to 3 feet in diameter by 2 feet high.
• Fire location is to be no closer than 25 feet from a structure or combustible material and conditions that could cause fire to spread must be removed prior to ignition.
• Fires in approved containers shall be at least 15 feet from any structure and not within 10 feet of any street, public right-of-way or property line.
• All fires shall be constantly attended until extinguished, and an approved method of extinguishing the fire shall be on site for immediate utilization. (i.e. Fire Extinguisher with a minimum 4A rating, garden hose, water barrel, sand, dirt or water truck).

• It shall be unlawful for any person to accumulate or permit to accumulate upon any public or private property within the municipality, any garbage, rubbish, bulky waste, or any other municipal or residual solid waste.
• It shall be unlawful for any person to burn any solid waste, except yard waste, within the municipality.
• It shall be unlawful for any person to scavenge any materials from solid waste that is stored or deposited for collection within the municipality.
• It shall be unlawful for any person to salvage or reclaim any solid waste within the municipality.

The owner of any lot within the Township of Butler shall be responsible and held responsible for removing, trimming, cutting or mowing all grass, weeds or other vegetation growing or remaining upon such lot.

• CALENDAR DAY – A period of 24 hours measured from midnight to midnight of any calendar day.
• JUNKED VEHICLE – Any vehicle outside of a fully enclosed building not in full and complete working order, without current registration plates, and without applicable state inspection sticker, or any vehicle stored for resale as junk metal, or any vehicle outside of a fully enclosed building stored for selling parts.
• PERSON – Every natural person, association or corporation. Whenever used in any clause prescribing or imposing a fine or penalty of imprisonment in default thereof, the term as applied to associations shall mean any member thereof, and as applied to corporations shall mean the president or secretary thereof.
• It is unlawful for any person to store any abandoned or junked vehicle on private or public property within the geographical boundaries of Butler Township for any portion of a calendar day. The storage of any vehicle for more than one calendar day shall constitute a separate and distinct unlawful.

• It is unlawful and a public nuisance for any individual to operate any type of licensed or unlicensed motor vehicle, whether mini-bike, motorcycle, motor scooter, go-cart, trail bike, automobiles, trucks, four-wheel-drive vehicles, ATVs (except for use in maintaining a person’s property), but excluding so-called riding lawn mowers, in any fixed location, whether public or private property, because said operation so disturbs the peace and tranquility of the citizens as to endanger the safety and welfare thereof and destroy the ability of its citizens to enjoy their property in peaceful repose and tranquility.

• It is unlawful for any person to operate or use any loudspeaker or other mechanical device that causes noise in excess of 90 decibels as measured on a decibel or sound level meter of standard quality and design operated on the A-weighing scale at a distance of 25 feet from any property line of the property on which the noise source is located.
• Fire sirens and related apparatus used solely for public safety purposes are exempts from this restriction.
• It is illegal for any person or persons to own, possess, harbor, or control any animal or bird which makes any noise continuously and/or incessantly for a period of 10 minutes or makes such noise intermittently for a half hour or more that results in the unreasonable disturbance or annoyance of any person during any time of the day or night regardless of whether the animal or bird is physically situated in any structure or in any open area on private property, said noise is hereby declared a nuisance; provided that at the time the animal or bird in making such noise, no person is trespassing or threatening to trespass upon private property in or upon which the animal or bird is situated nor is there any other legitimate cause which justifiably provoked the animal or bird.

• All dogs three months of age or older must be licensed.
• Licenses are issued by the county treasurer.
• All dogs must be under control and must not be allowed to run at large. Dogs are personal property, and the owners are responsible for damages caused by their dog.
• It is illegal to mistreat or abuse any animal.
• Violations should be reported to a local humane organization or the police. It is illegal to abandon or attempt to abandon any dog.
• No dog under eight weeks of age may be sold, traded, bartered or transferred.
• You may not place any poison or harmful substance in any place where dogs may easily eat it, whether it is your own property or elsewhere.
• You must have a current kennel license if you operate a facility that keeps, harbors, boards, shelters, sells, gives away or transfers a total of 26 or more dogs in any one calendar year.
• Owners of dogs and cats, 3 months of age or older are required to have a current rabies vaccination.

No person, except law enforcement officers in pursuit of their duties, shall fire or discharge any gun or other firearm at any place within Butler Township, except in necessary defense of person or property or except when lawfully engaged in hunting.

It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to place, dump or shovel snow on the public roads or streets in Butler Township.

• It is unlawful for boys and girls under 18 years of age (such persons being defined for the purpose of this chapter as “children”) to be or remain in or upon any of the streets, alleys, parks or public places in the Township of Butler at night, from the hour of 11:00 PM until the hour of 5:00 AM the next day, unless such child is accompanied by any parent, guardian or other person having the legal custody of such child.
• It is unlawful for any parent, guardian, or the person having the legal care or custody of any of the children above designated, to allow or permit any such child, ward, or other person under such age, while in such legal custody, to go or be in and upon any of the streets, alleys, parks or public places in said township after that time.
• Nothing in this chapter shall be constructed as prohibiting children from traveling to or from legitimate employment or school functions.

It shall be unlawful for any person to possess or consume any alcoholic beverage in any township recreation facility without prior written permission of Butler Township.