Petoskey council holds first reading on vacant‑building registration; lawmakers cut trigger to 60 days

Petoskey City Council held a first reading July 21 on a proposed ordinance that would require owners of vacant buildings to register those properties with the city and meet specified maintenance, inspection and security requirements.

The ordinance as introduced would have required registration after 90 consecutive days of vacancy; after discussion council directed staff to change the trigger to 60 consecutive days and to require owners to register within 14 days after that period. Councilmembers and staff said the change is intended to give code enforcement earlier notice about long‑term vacancies while still allowing time for owners to address short vacancies.

City Manager Shane Horn said the registration is intended to create a “scheme” that allows the city to identify vacant properties and begin enforcement if owners do not register or do not address problems. The ordinance incorporates the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) as the technical standard for required repairs and safety measures.

Key provisions discussed at the first reading: - Trigger and timing: buildings vacant for 60 consecutive days would be required to register with the code enforcement officer within 14 days of the 60‑day mark. - Registration and renewal: registrations would be valid 365 days from the submission date and require renewal; the council asked staff to implement administrative reminders and to consider software support for tracking renewals. - Inspections: council asked that an initial inspection be scheduled promptly after registration; staff recommended 30 days and council directed staff to use 30 days as a working target while accounting for inspector capacity. - Security and emergency work: council debated how quickly owners must secure doors and windows when ordered; the majority supported 24 hours as the standard for boarding or otherwise securing openings while allowing the code officer discretion in complex cases. - Exemptions: the draft includes exemptions for properties with active construction, properties listed for sale, individual vacant units within multi‑tenant buildings, and temporary absences. Council members sought clearer, narrower language to avoid unintended loopholes (for example, listing a property for sale as a means to indefinitely delay enforcement). Staff and counsel will return with alternate language limiting abuse of exemptions and proposals for multi‑tenant or percentage‑based tests. - Appeals, enforcement and fines: the draft uses the municipal civil infraction process for enforcement and leaves specific fine amounts to a separate resolution. Several council members argued for higher penalties for deliberate or prolonged violations (some proposed up to $500 per day), while others cautioned about making penalties disproportionately punitive without clear procedural safeguards. Council directed staff to return recommended penalty language and to coordinate it with the city’s civil infraction schedule.

Council and staff also discussed registration form details, proof of ownership or agent identification, and whether out‑of‑state owners must designate a local agent capable of responding quickly. Council suggested requiring a local contact who can respond promptly, and asked legal counsel to compare existing definitions used in the city’s short‑term rental and other registration programs.

This was a discussion and cleanup session; the item will return for additional revisions and a subsequent reading. No final action or adoption occurred on July 21.

The first reading generated multiple suggested edits from council and city staff; those edits — including the 90→60‑day change, 14‑day registration window and a 30‑day inspection target — will be incorporated into the draft before the next formal step.