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§ 150.72 EMERGENCY SECURING OF VACANT BUILDINGS.
   Pursuant to M.S. § 463.251, Subd. 4, when the City Council or the Council's authorized representative determines that a vacant or unsecured building poses an immediate threat to the health or safety of persons in the community and the immediate securing of a building is required to protect health and safety, all notice requirements herein are waived and the building may be secured by the city, provided that:
   (A)   The conditions showing the existence of an immediate threat are documented in a written report.
   (B)   A copy of the written report and the city action taken are mailed immediately to the owner of record and any neighborhood association.
§ 150.73 COLLECTION OF COSTS.
   All costs incurred by the city for securing a vacant building under this subchapter may be charged against the real property as a special assessment pursuant to M.S. §§ 463.251, 463.21 and 463.151.
§ 150.74 REGISTRATION OF VACANT BUILDINGS.
   The owner of record of a vacant building shall register such structure with the City's Development Director no later than 30 days after the building becomes a vacant building, as defined in this subchapter. The registration of vacant building shall be submitted on forms provided by the city, and shall contain, at a minimum, the following:
   (A)   The legal description and property address of the vacant building.
   (B)   The names and addresses of all owners of the vacant building.
   (C)   The names and addresses of all known lien holders and mortgagees of the vacant building.
   (D)   The period of time which the building is expected to remain vacant.
   (E)   A plan and timetable for returning the building to appropriate occupancy and/or making the structure compliant with all city ordinances or for demolition of the building. The plan must be approved by the City Development Director and shall require completion of the plan within a reasonable period of time not to exceed 365 days. Such plan shall include all conditions that are to be corrected, the estimated value of the project(s) required to complete the plan and a plan for continued care and upkeep of the property consistent with this subchapter.
   (F)   Other information deemed necessary by the city to process the registration.
§ 150.75 CONTINUING REQUIREMENTS OF REGISTERED VACANT BUILDINGS.
   The owner of record shall comply with all applicable state laws and city ordinances and shall notify the city's Development Director of any changes in the information supplied as part of the vacant building registration, within 30 days of the change. Any change in the vacant building registration must be approved by the city's Development Director. The following additional requirements shall apply:
   (A)   The owner of record shall keep the vacant building secured and shall keep the building and grounds maintained until the rehabilitation or demolition of the building has been completed. Residential vacant buildings shall not be used for storage.
   (B)   Failure of the owner of record to maintain the vacant building and grounds such that abatement of violations by the city is required, shall be grounds for revocation of the vacant building registration plan and the owner of record shall be subject to any applicable penalties provided by law.
   (C)   In the event of a sale of the building or grounds by the owner of record to a purchaser, the purchaser shall re-register the vacant building with the city's Development Director within 30 days of the transfer of ownership or interest in the vacant building. The new owner of record shall comply with the approved vacant building registration plan and timetable unless any proposed changes in the plan are submitted to and approved by the city's Development Director.
§ 150.76 VACANT BUILDING REGISTRATION FEES.
   The owner of a vacant building, with the exception of a vacant building owned or operated by a governmental entity, shall pay an annual registration fee as established by the City Council. This fee is imposed to defray the administrative costs for registering and processing the vacant building registration form and the costs of the city in monitoring the vacant building site.
   (A)   The first annual registration fee shall be paid no later than 30 days after the building becomes vacant. Subsequent annual registration fees shall be due on the anniversary date of initial vacancy.
   (B)   The registration fee shall be paid in full prior to the issuance of any building permits, with the exception of a demolition permit.
(Ord. 3-2018, passed 3-28-2018)
§ 150.77 INSPECTIONS.
   The record owner shall provide access to all portions of a vacant building for inspection by city employees for the purpose of enforcing and assuring compliance with the provisions of this subchapter.
§ 150.78 RIGHT OF APPEAL.
   Any owner of record who is aggrieved by a decision or order of the Development Director may appeal to the City Council. Such appeal must be in writing on forms provided by the city, must specify the grounds for the appeal, and must be accompanied by a filing fee in an amount determined by the City Council. The appeal must be submitted to the City Clerk by personal service or United States mail within 30 days from the date of the decision or order from which the appeal is taken.
§ 150.99 PENALTY.
   Any person violating any provision of §§ 150.70 through 150.78, or providing false information to the city in connection with a vacant building registration shall, upon conviction therefore, be punished as provided in the penalty section of this subchapter.