Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Nuisance Code Enforcement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Crawford County considers changes to nuisance/dangerous-structure code after state statute restored cleanup authority
Summary
Commissioners discussed and moved to adopt resolution changing the county’s nuisance code to allow post-conviction county cleanup and tax assessment of costs; the motion language and time-limited authority were described but the transcript does not record a roll-call outcome.
Commissioners reviewed a proposed resolution to amend Crawford County’s nuisance and dangerous-structure code to incorporate authority the state legislature recently restored to counties.
County Master Director Jim Emmerson explained the change came after state action that restored a self-help mechanism allowing counties to clean nuisance properties and assess cleanup costs to property taxes if owners do not comply after a conviction. Emmerson said the authority will be available for a three-year trial period and that the county must obtain a conviction in code court before using the self-help process.
Emmerson said the statute reverses a 2012 court decision that had removed the authority, and he thanked state representatives Chuck Smith, Kim Collins and Tim Schonberger for supporting the bill. “This will actually give us some teeth that we can actually go in and clean properties where we couldn't do that anymore,” one commissioner said during discussion.
A motion was made to accept “resolution 2000Five-two” to adopt the proposed changes; the transcript records a motion and a second but does not record a roll-call or final tally in the provided excerpt. Emmerson and commissioners said the authority is intended as a last resort and an incentive for property owners to comply voluntarily.
Why it matters: The amendment restores a county tool to address long-standing nuisance properties by allowing the county to do cleanup after legal processes and recover costs if owners fail to act. County leaders described the change as protective of neighbors and a path toward asking the legislature to make the authority permanent after the trial period.
Next steps: Commissioners discussed scheduling further work-session review; the transcript indicates a motion to accept the resolution was made but the recorded excerpt does not show a completed roll-call vote.
