It is hereby found and determined that there exist within the City blighted, deteriorated and deteriorating premises of the nature defined in this chapter which constitute a serious and growing menace injurious and inimitable to the public health, safety and general welfare; and that the existence of such premises:
(a) Contributes substantially and increasingly to the spread of disease and crime, and to losses by fire and accident, necessitating excessive and disproportionate expenditures of public funds for the preservation of the public health and safety, for crime prevention, correction, prosecution and punishment, for the treatment of juvenile delinquency, for the maintenance of adequate police, fire and accident protection, and for other public services and facilities;
(b) Constitutes an economic and social liability;
(c) Substantially impairs and arrests the sound growth of the community, retards the provision of housing accommodations, aggravates traffic problems and substantially impairs or arrest the elimination of traffic hazards and the improvement of traffic facilities; and that this menace is beyond remedy and control solely by regulatory processes and exercise of police power and cannot be dealt with effectively by the ordinary operation of private enterprise without the aids herein provided; that the elimination in whole or in part of blighted deteriorated and deteriorating premises and the prevention of occurrence or recurrence of such premises by redevelopment and by the conservation, rehabilitation and reconditioning, to the extent feasible, of the salvageable portion of such premises, and by other activities, are public uses and purposes for which public money may be expended and private property acquired by purchase, by donation, and by eminent domain, and are governmental functions of concern to the City and require the exercise of the powers of government granted to the City by the provisions of Article XVIII of the Ohio Constitution and that the necessity, in the public interest and general welfare of the provisions of this chapter is hereby declared to be a matter of legislative determination.
(Ord. 9029-2003. Passed 10-21-03.)