Laserfiche WebLink
98 <br /> <br /> Mr. O'Connell said this report is part of the effort to focus on tools available to <br />improve housing in the City. <br /> <br /> Mr. Huja said there are currently 26 houses which are or should be boarded up <br />soon, some for as long as 23 years. Mr. Huja recommendations included: City Code <br />changes to adopt State law; demolition assistance; low interest loan program; acquisition, <br />demolition or rehabilitation and sale; aggressive enforcement; and'marketing. <br /> <br /> Mr. Cox asked if one of the difficulties is not in getting property owners to sell <br />boarded up houses, and noted that the City has no means to force them to sell property. <br /> <br /> Mr. Huja said that the Code changes may force them to make improvements and <br />therefore encourage them to sell. <br /> <br /> Mr. Lynch said his priorities are changing the Code; acquisition, demolition or <br />rehabilitation and sale; aggressive enforcement; and marketing. Mr. Lynch said that <br />financing is not the problem for the boarded up housing that he is aware of, and some are <br />nice houses that he would not want to see demolished. Mr. Lynch said he feels it is <br />necessary to get aggressive so the houses do not continue to be a drain on the <br />neighborhoods. <br /> <br /> Mr. Cox said he would like to see a visual database of the houses, and Mr. Huja <br />said that is available and he will forward it to Council. <br /> <br /> Mr. Cox asked Mr. Huja if he thinks some of the houses could be acted on if <br />funds were allocated, and Mr. Huja said yes. <br /> <br /> Mr. Lynch said he is not interested in low interest loans and is concerned with <br />subsidizing slum lords. <br /> <br /> Mr. Cox said he thinks it is important to get a snapshot of who these people are. <br />He said he would like to have a specific proposal put before Council rather than dealing <br />in the abstract. <br /> <br /> Mr. O'Connell said that there may be a different strategy for dealing with each <br /> <br />one. <br /> <br /> Ms. Richards echoed Mr. Lynch's comments about support landlords who do not <br />keep up their property with public funds. Regarding marketing, Ms. Richards said she <br />has read about use of municipal websites for that purpose. <br /> <br />ORDINANCE: BLIGHT CONTROL <br /> <br /> Mr. Jim Tolbert, Director of Neighborhood Development Services, said that the <br />City currently does not have the tools to adequately address blight problems. The <br />proposed ordinance includes: adopting new State law changes; giving the City tools to <br />deal with graffiti on private property; requiring registration of houses that have been <br />boarded up over 12 months; requirements to repair or remove unsafe buildings; <br />elimination of bawdy places; giving the City authority to deal with structures associated <br />with drug problems; elimination and correction of spot blight; and corrects zoning issues <br />regarding permits in historic districts that do not require building permits. <br /> <br /> Mr. Caravati asked how the proposal dealing with structures with drug problems <br />is.different from the drag forfeiture law. <br /> <br /> Ms. Lisa Kelley, Deputy City Attorney, said that federal and state forfeiture laws <br />are for criminal activity, while this proposal reqUires the landlord to work with the City <br />on corrective action, and if the problem is not corrected, the City can tear down the <br />structure or take other action. Ms. Kelley said that some areas might fit better in the spot <br />blight category. Ms. Kelley said that procedures will need to be developed for all of <br />these recommendations. <br /> <br /> <br />