Purpose and intent. It is the intent of this subchapter is to help protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens to prevent blight, protect property values and neighborhood integrity, to avoid the creation and maintenance of nuisances and to ensure the safe and sanitary maintenance of dwellings and commercial and industrial buildings. Due to economic conditions, mortgage foreclosures, and bankruptcies, homes, buildings and properties have become vacant and unsupervised. This has caused properties to become nuisances, decrease private investment and to invite unwanted activity. Such unwanted activities have included an increase in instances of unsecured or open doors and windows, broken water pipes, flooded basements, theft of metals and other materials, overgrowth of grass, weeds, shrubs, and bushes, illegal dumping, vermin activity, foul odors, and façade decay at vacant properties. These vacant properties have a negative impact on surrounding properties and causes deterioration in neighborhoods and commercial areas. The city also needs to be able to contact owners for utility shutoff, fire safety and police reasons.
(Ord. 19-005, passed 4-22-19)