Vacant Property Registration Ordinance Being Considered For Nuisance Properties

A vacant property registration ordinance will be 1st read at the city council meeting on November 7, 2022 and up for public discussion. This proposed ordinance places a duty on the owner of vacant properties to assist the City in preventing public nuisance. Vacant properties have been neglected by their owners, leaving it up to city governments to keep them from becoming crime magnets, fire hazards, or dumping grounds. Attending to vacant and abandoned properties overwhelms city resources. The police and fire departments bear the brunt of the responsibility, along with building inspection and code enforcement units. However, most municipalities have staff from several departments addressing the care of vacant properties: legal offices, public works, housing, and real estate services all deal with vacant properties. This ordinance will complement our new nuisance and building code enforcement program and we ask the public to show up and provide feedback. A summary if the ordinance can be found here.