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City officials report rise in nuisance complaints; resident urges action on burned Sugar Street property
Summary
Council received a nuisance abatement update citing 440 first-offense notices in the past year and a 36% increase from the prior year; a resident asked the city to address a burned-out house at 86 South Sugar that she says has unpaid taxes and poses a public-safety hazard.
City officials described a surge in nuisance-code enforcement activity and told Chillicothe City Council they are sending more notices and citations than in the prior year, while a neighborhood resident urged the city to expedite cleanup of a burned-out lot on South Sugar Street.
Councilman McKeever summarized a report he received from the nuisance abatement team and nuisance officer. McKeever said 440 first-offense nuisance notices were mailed in the reporting period, with May the busiest month at 70 notices and an average of about 38 per month. He said 22 second-offense notices were mailed, 41 certified nuisance abatement board letters were issued, and 50 invoices for fines were sent. McKeever reported a 36% increase in notices compared with February 2023 and said 302 of the 440 notices concerned junk cars; nine vehicles were towed for noncompliance. He said about 75% of complaints originate with citizens and are routed to the nuisance officer via email, phone or the city’s SeeClickFix system.
Resident Diane Carnes described a burned house next door to a listing she is trying to sell at 86 South Sugar. Carnes said taxes have not been paid on the burned lot for nine years and that approximately $7,000 in taxes is owed; she said courthouse staff told her the property likely will not be auctioned for about two years. Carnes warned the burned lot is a safety hazard with an exposed basement and asked the city to take action under nuisance authority. Her remarks were delivered during the public-comment portion of the meeting and were presented as her account of the property’s status.
Mayor Feeney explained the city’s nuisance-abatement process and its limits: complaints about private property go through a defined notice-and-remedy process; the city does not apply those procedures to city-owned property and cannot act outside city corporation limits. He noted some locations (for example under certain bridges and stretches of roadway) fall under Ohio Department of Transportation jurisdiction and are not enforceable by the city.
Ending: Council members said they would follow up by ensuring the nuisance officer has the complaint details; McKeever announced a planned review session on March 10 to discuss roadway and park-related plans that could intersect with nuisance and grant activity.
