Cloverdale council takes first step on vacancy ordinance; councilors debate downtown vs. citywide scope

City staff introduced an ordinance for its first reading at the April 9, 2025 Cloverdale City Council meeting that would require owners of long-term vacant commercial properties to register with the city, post a 24-hour contact and submit to annual inspections by the fire and building departments.

Kevin (city staff), presenting the item, described the draft “vacancy ordinance” as a tool to address chronically vacant buildings in downtown and other commercial areas. “It requires owners of vacant properties, currently the way it's written in the downtown area as defined by the ordinance, to register with the city,” Kevin said, explaining the proposal would include a posted contact, annual fire-and-building inspection and an associated fee intended to cover inspection and administrative costs.

Nut graf: The ordinance is framed as a public-safety and economic-development measure aimed at reducing hazards and blight caused by long-term vacancies; the council debated whether to limit the rule to downtown or to apply it citywide and directed staff toward broader coverage if feasible.

Details and council discussion: - Registration and inspections: The draft requires property owners to register and name a 24-hour contact; the ordinance includes annual inspections by fire and building staff to confirm safety and maintenance. - Fees and administration: The presentation said the city would set a fee level in coordination with the fire district and building department to cover inspection and some administrative costs. Kevin described the ordinance as having “a fee associated with it” and as “a good first step.” - Downtown vs. citywide: The item originated as a downtown-focused measure after subcommittee discussions, but several council members said they would prefer a citywide approach. Staff advised that making the ordinance citywide would increase staff time to locate owners and administer registrations; one staff suggestion was to remove the word “downtown” from the code language and define applicability by commercial property type. - Timeline: Kevin said if the council approves introduction and holds a hearing, adoption would follow the normal ordinance process and take effect 30 days after adoption.

Public comment and response: Nina Hanchat, executive director of the Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce, urged the council to adopt measures that make downtown more presentable to visitors and businesses. “I wish we could really put some things in this. Make our town more beautiful,” Hanchat said. The chamber earlier supported neighborhood and business outreach and noted prior mailing of evacuation and preparedness materials; Hanchat’s remarks at this item focused on commercial vitality and aesthetic concerns.

Action taken: A council member moved to introduce the ordinance by title only, amending the draft to eliminate the word “downtown” so the regulation would apply to vacant commercial properties in Cloverdale; the motion proceeded as an introduction for first reading. No final adoption vote occurred at the meeting.

Next steps: Staff will update the draft per the council’s direction (removing or amending the downtown definition as requested), return with the revised ordinance for hearing and set fee levels in coordination with the fire and building departments.