(A) The City of LaSalle through its City Council has the authority to adopt ordinances and to promote rules and regulations that pertain to its government and affairs, and protect public health, safety and welfare of its citizens; and
(B) The City of LaSalle additionally has police power and the powers of a home rule municipality within the State of Illinois; and
(C) Pursuant to law including but not limited to ILCS Ch. 65, Act 5, § 11-60-2, the City of LaSalle has the authority to define, prevent and abate nuisances; and
(D) Vacant buildings have caused significant problems for the city including but not limited to flooding caused by frozen pipes during cold weather, posing property maintenance issues, and those buildings not properly maintained presenting code violations, and/or becoming dilapidated and unsafe; and
(E) It is an intent of this chapter to protect the public health, safety, and welfare by establishing a registration process for vacant buildings, and is also in furtherance of preventing and/or abating public nuisance, to prevent deterioration, unsightly blight and consequent adverse impact on the value of nearby property, and to further have owners of vacant buildings abide by other appropriate responsibilities pursuant to regulation as provided herein; and
(F) It is the intent that this ordinance should be liberally construed in order to justly carry out and effectuate the intent and purposes of this ordinance; and
(G) The City Council of the City of LaSalle has determined that it is in the best interests of the city and its citizens and further an appropriate exercise of the city’s municipal powers, including, but not being limited to, those set forth above in reference to the police power, home rule power, power to promote and protect the public health, safety and welfare, and the power to define, prevent and abate nuisances that this chapter establishing further regulations of vacant buildings be enacted; and
(H) This chapter establishing further regulation of vacant buildings shall be designated as Division 154 within Title XV of the Land Usage Provisions of the City of LaSalle Code of Ordinances.
(Ord. 2246, passed 10-4-2010; Am. Ord. 2479, passed 3-11-2014)