[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6217087,"mediaKeyId","3649967-ffb34b00ec29cbe35e82cf7268a822bd","parentId",3649967,"title","Auburn council workshop narrows vacant-building amendment; staff to return draft for first reading","audioSeconds",1745,"startMs",70265,"endMs",1815570,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3649967-ffb34b00ec29cbe35e82cf7268a822bd&start=70&end=1815","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3649967-ffb34b00ec29cbe35e82cf7268a822bd/thumbnail_70265.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6217087/Auburn/Androscoggin-County/Maine/Auburn-council-workshop-narrows-vacant-building-amendment-staff-to-return-draft-for-first-reading","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6217087-f7a31f15ceb6b4b407ff577cd664324e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771188557&Signature=kdhFOlDFGXTTPp~ZCUs6YYjA59dFyFRaajiP8oPDAuIKtLe8i4DPMtKjhYqalWiNWXuRNthqNZ6uWR7JYRQkTQCkotc4Ph4ZjwgznjSJMZqI64vjIKw39W1GQeaqgFtEIpZcSVZ3Gi5wJPyblVzpK~J40fAEAglOfK3cZNfdoxke5h8nTrQdUtAjv6gAazeX9Ny83rkKSESG~B9e33cUSkWp-e16nmpxXHOjdHSma1PFzyDBaoh-3Nb~dLUe4yPaB6TgerNltfgWBlPXvdGtXpNF1Doj3NJC38pwvaHZhki7~Jc2Hm7eTtaL8VPGO8cv2iKmgxnGki3NhnO5-DvMQg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-06-04T07:26:02.923Z","article","The Auburn City Council on June 2 reviewed a revised draft amendment to the city's vacant-and-abandoned-buildings ordinance, maintaining a 60‑day threshold for a building to be determined vacant, adding a 10‑day window to file required notices, and adding fee caps that staff said generally stop escalating after roughly two years. Eric, a city staff member, told the council the draft also clarifies inspection standards and allows any permit for repair, demolition or updates to remove a property from vacant/abandoned status.

Why it matters: Councilors said the rules affect homeowners, landlords, renters, neighborhoods and first responders by determining when the city can require registration, inspections or escalating penalties for derelict properties. Several councilors pushed for exceptions or lower fees where a property is actively maintained.

City staff described the core drafting changes. \"We did update the fee structure to put a maximum cap on. That cap gets maxed out at around 2 years,\" Eric said. He also explained timing in the draft: \"We still have the 60‑day timeframe before it's determined to be vacant, but then once it is meeting that definition, then there's 10 days to file that notice.\" The draft further distinguishes between \"vacant\" and \"abandoned\" properties and provides a mechanism for owners to convert an abandoned building to a vacant status by applying for and pursuing a permit for repairs, demolition or other qualifying work.

Council discussion centered on the policy's treatment of owners who keep properties empty by choice versus properties that are deteriorating and generating city responses. Councilor Steve Milks (Ward 3) asked why owners who pay property taxes and maintain a structure would be charged: \"If I own a building and I'm paying my property taxes and it's up to code ... Why am I getting charged anything for that?\" Milks and other councilors suggested several alternatives discussed on the record: a) a no‑fee registration for short vacancies, b) a nominal annual fee to fund inspections for longer vacancies, c) different thresholds or enforcement for single‑family properties versus multifamily or commercial properties, and d) a limited waiver or appeal process for owners who can demonstrate ongoing maintenance or responsible management.

Council discussion produced a set of staff directions rather than a final ordinance vote. Councilors proposed moving some registration and contact‑information requirements into a tiered approach: register vacancies of 60 days or more, but consider no fee for short‑term vacancies (several councilors suggested six months as a possible boundary) and impose inspections and possible escalating fees for properties vacant beyond that period or showing signs of abandonment. Councilor Belinda Gary (at large) asked for basic inventory data: the city currently lacks a registration system and therefore does not have an exact count of vacant or abandoned properties. Staff noted available comparators such as American Community Survey estimates but said those are not a substitute for a local registry.

Next steps: Council agreed staff will return a revised draft for first reading at the next council meeting that incorporates the workshop feedback—clarified vacancy/abandonment definitions, possible registration tiers, inspection triggers and options for waivers or nominal annual inspection fees. No formal vote on the ordinance occurred at the workshop.

Community impact and practical details raised during the workshop included the need for accurate owner contact information for emergency responses, concern about creating undue burdens on owners who actively maintain vacant properties, and a desire to prioritize enforcement where public‑safety or repeated city responses are likely.

Additional context: staff said the inspection criteria will be checklist‑based and referenced Chapter 12 as part of the code criteria that inspectors will use to differentiate between vacant and abandoned conditions. The council requested the revised draft include clearer options for single‑family versus multifamily properties and to describe an inspection cadence tied to any nominal fees the city may adopt.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Auburn, Maine, City Council Workshop & Meeting, June 2, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Auburn City Council on June 2 reviewed a revised draft amendment to the city's vacant-and-abandoned-buildings ordinance, maintaining a 60‑day threshold for vacancy, adding a 10‑day filing window and putting a cap on escalating fees that staff said generally stops after about two years.","taxTitle","Auburn , Androscoggin County, Maine","taxId",68143,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6217077,"Auburn council adopts revised joint purchasing policy on second reading",103,5609045,5712603,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3649967-ffb34b00ec29cbe35e82cf7268a822bd&start=5609&end=5712","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3649967-ffb34b00ec29cbe35e82cf7268a822bd/thumbnail_5609045.jpg","/articles/6217077/Auburn/Androscoggin-County/Maine/Auburn-council-adopts-revised-joint-purchasing-policy-on-second-reading","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6217077-3ce754785987e6b5c112fa11383d5792/orig.mp4?Expires=1771188557&Signature=n7okBhHmkDrsCts11h~creQsnql9utzc4x-xDngy5fIIrgmy2Zd-Eg01Ta5vm3sWIdwwxbtIFTj4DrQpuiJOqqyKAgbAnjGoLKfLet97PuogLnRCyt4~EtzjDkyiiwQOnJVhFtJWcfRWZoBPIuZVc5obdJYJp6CJt59c2EOtQNOQw9dfTQCtv44eS6gE6gwr2Vdw2hVKNTTcAx-dWq9TWkg65HTZqwMM3obppPXwOFVxyjlHus7ns9bWkOf00MyJ3LrADEO3T~AHVOjwvt19KuypgcxzqS~xepauoQGAXulgQ0hhhf4uxISk2TtGEuR1V-kKgKGrKnFqdJKfjqJWhQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Auburn City Council voted on June 2 to adopt the revised joint purchasing policy on second reading. The motion to adopt was moved by Councilor Watkins and seconded by Councilor Tim Cowan (Ward 2). The vote was taken by a show of hands; the mayor announced, \"6 having voted in the affirmative, none in the negative,\" and the motion was declared adopted.

The council recorded that corresponding school‑side motions had moved in parallel through school committees and that the Auburn School Committee had approved matching changes. No public comments were offered at the second reading and no amendments were recorded during the council discussion.

The ordinance takes effect per normal municipal adoption procedures; staff did not identify any immediate implementation steps in the council discussion.","On June 2 the Auburn City Council adopted the revised joint purchasing policy on second reading; the motion was moved by Councilor Watkins, seconded by Councilor Cowan, and passed by a show of hands with six in favor and none opposed.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6217081,"Auburn staff demonstrate Munis 'Open Finance' portal; public launch after internal data audit",591,1843800,2435020,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3649967-ffb34b00ec29cbe35e82cf7268a822bd&start=1843&end=2435","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3649967-ffb34b00ec29cbe35e82cf7268a822bd/thumbnail_1843800.jpg","/articles/6217081/Auburn/Androscoggin-County/Maine/Auburn-staff-demonstrate-Munis-Open-Finance-portal-public-launch-after-internal-data-audit","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6217081-036bc33004ee13968f7c075eee23b71d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771188557&Signature=Ex6j~7jdCl248e0IQACjXXXlJHbJ2AvK9VjD09FBTXkAE6FK2r2yxLNY8rYxHpHp71kuB225vUL5KLikqj82oAQS~E3dL0GtHIbKqDkB6m8FzTHy661I3a7fiJUljA0HAcLqy~CbIcSs90NbC~Djl44TJ4AeC-y2MTkelaZYd-j92B2lMUBSdtQasMPE8lgWMsys3rS0vBH-S8s2YSHNfVFYBLt0SdHMhUSSh88paA0Qv9ZuuoAfkG4DtSw1cBzQZDL11ZBSyjS45anLjP9ags2f3Na5~kCTKhV7fBnLuv9W5t7EfgX5gmxgfZOGzXM5XT~a~2au39YInt~EuIQB1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City finance and IT staff on June 2 demonstrated the Munis \"Open Finance\" portal to the Auburn City Council, describing it as a real‑time, searchable view of revenues, expenditures and vendor payments that will be made available to councilors first and to the public after internal data checks.

\"The open finance platform, the purpose of it is to provide that real time data,\" a finance presenter identified in the meeting as Jill said during the demonstration, describing visualizations for budget, revenues and expenses and searchable vendor and object (account) views. City staff showed how the portal breaks expenses down by fund, department and object and demonstrated ledger‑level views for departments such as fire and EMS.

City Manager Phil Kroll told the council the city will not publish the portal publicly until staff complete an internal audit to avoid repeating earlier data problems from a prior public budget portal. \"What we wanna make sure is that we don't have the same glitches that we had in the last system,\" Kroll said, adding the city wants a 30– to 60‑day audit period to verify accuracy before public release.

Councilors asked how the portal will handle sensitive data. Staff said personally identifiable information in general‑assistance entries must be removed before public display. Payroll will be viewable by position rather than by individual employee, and vendor drill‑downs will be available. Staff also said the portal will show real‑time data for fiscal year 2026 once it is opened; prior fiscal years will be accessible after FY26 closes.

No formal action was taken. Staff said councilors will receive login information for the portal and that the city will post a public link after it completes the planned internal audit and any necessary data‑entry changes to protect private information.","City staff previewed Munis's Open Finance portal at the June 2 workshop, showing real‑time revenue and expense views and vendor drill‑downs; the portal will be opened to council immediately for testing and to the public after a 30–60 day internal audit to remove problematic personally identifiable information.","actionData","errors"]

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Auburn council workshop narrows vacant-building amendment; staff to return draft for first reading

Auburn council adopts revised joint purchasing policy on second reading

Auburn staff demonstrate Munis 'Open Finance' portal; public launch after internal data audit