The council adopted a series of nuisance-abatement resolutions and declarations that will allow the city to place liens or remove hazards, and scheduled a hearing on an unsafe structure after a property owner requested an appeal.

City planner Brent McCallum presented multiple nuisance-abatement items. The council voted to assess abatement costs for properties including but not limited to: 2611 Robin Wood Drive (Beth and Thomas Moon) — $23,157 for removal of an unsafe structure; 801 South Wollaston Bridge Road (Beth and Thomas Moon) — $7,145 for removal of an unsafe structure; a number of properties for grass and weeds with costs commonly listed as $175 or $325 depending on the lot; and other addresses with sums read into the record by staff. McCallum also presented a set of parcels where the city seeks declarations to allow removal of inoperable vehicles under the city procedure; he read parcel numbers and addresses for roughly seven vehicles.

Attorney Moore asked whether tax sale was a possibility for repeatedly delinquent property; staff responded the city’s nuisance-abatement code provides that liens may be placed on the property tax bill for the coming year (staff noted notices had already gone out this year so collection via tax bill would begin in the next cycle) and described prior coordinated sales that brought many accounts current. Attorney Robertson noted the code process and the statutory appeal route to circuit court for dissatisfied owners.

Property owner Georgiana Guthrie spoke about an unsafe-structure notice for 1512 William Street, saying she had contracted with contractors and had been working on the property; she said she had received two abatement notices over three years and asked for a hearing. City counsel told the council it could treat Ms. Guthrie’s oral request as a written appeal and the council agreed to schedule a hearing for Oct. 17 (a special meeting at the end of that day’s work session) so Ms. Guthrie and the city can present evidence before the council makes a nuisance determination.

Council motions to adopt the nuisance-abatement resolutions and inoperable-vehicle declarations carried by unanimous vote. Staff said the city will proceed with the abatement, record the liens or remove items as allowed by code, and schedule the hearing for 1512 William Street.