(A) A hearing must be held relative to each order of the enforcement authority. The hearing shall be conducted by the hearing authority.
(B) The hearing shall be held on a business day no earlier than ten days after notice of the order is given. The hearing authority may, however, take action at the hearing, or before the hearing if a written request is received by the enforcement authority not later than five days after notice is given, to continue the hearing to a business day not later than 14 days after the hearing date shown on the order. Unless the hearing authority takes action to have the continued hearing held on a definite, specified date, notice of the continued hearing must be given to the person to whom the order was issued at least five days before the continued hearing date. If the order being considered at the continued hearing was served by publication, it is sufficient to give notice of the continued hearing by publication unless the enforcement authority has received information in writing that enables it to make service by a method other than publication.
(C) The person to whom the order was issued, any person having a substantial property interest in the unsafe premises that are the subject of the order, or any other person with an interest in the proceedings may appear in person or by counsel at hearing. Each person appearing at the hearing is entitled to present evidence, cross-examine opposing witnesses and present arguments.
(D) At the conclusion of any hearing at which a continuance is not granted, the hearing authority may make findings and take action to:
(1) Affirm the order;
(2) Rescind the order; or
(3) Modify the order, but unless the person to whom the order was issued, or counsel for that person, is present at the hearing, the hearing authority may modify the order in only a manner that makes its terms less stringent. In addition to affirming the order, in those cases in which the hearing authority finds that there has been a willful failure to comply with the order, the hearing authority may impose a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed $1,000. The effective date of the civil penalty may be postponed for a reasonable period, after which the hearing authority may order the civil penalty reduced or stricken if the hearing authority is satisfied that all work necessary to fully comply with the order has been done. For purposes of an appeal under this chapter or enforcement of an order as provided by this chapter, action of the hearing authority is considered final upon the affirmation of the order, even though the hearing authority may retain jurisdiction for the ultimate determination of a fine.
(E) If, at a hearing, a person to whom an order has been issued requests an additional period to accomplish action required by the order, and shows good cause of this request to be granted, the hearing authority may grant the request; however, as a condition for allowing the additional period, the hearing authority may require that the person post a performance bond to be forfeited if the action required by the order is not completed within the additional period.
(F) The record of the findings made and action taken by the hearing authority at the hearing shall be available to the public upon request; however, neither the enforcement authority nor the hearing authority is required to give any person notice of the findings and. action.
(G) A civil penalty under division (D) above may be collected in the same manner as costs under other sections of this chapter. The amount of the civil penalty that is collected shall be deposited in the Unsafe Building Fund.
(Ord. 96-3, passed 2-3-1997)