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Evansville board approves higher administrative fees for property-code enforcement
Summary
The Board of Public Safety approved raising several administrative fees charged for property-code enforcement actions, including mowing/weeds, trash removal and securing vacant properties, citing costs not updated since 2010 and rising certified-mail expenses.
The City of Evansville Board of Public Safety on Wednesday approved an increase in administrative fees tied to property-code enforcement actions, moving several charges to $100 from lower amounts that have not been updated since 2010.
The change, proposed by Rick Dolphin, Business Code Enforcement Coordinator, was approved after brief discussion and a formal motion and second by board members. Dolphin said the last fee change was in 2010 and cited rising costs for certified mail, vehicle use and office overhead as the basis for the request. "State law requires us to send most of our notifications out certified mail," Dolphin said, noting a certified-mail cost of $10.44 per notice.
The increases approved at the meeting include raising the administrative fee for removal of grass/weeds from $40 to $100; removal of trash and debris from $70 to $100; and sealing and securing vacant properties from $60 to $100. Dolphin said the bill the property owner receives will still show three parts: the fine amount (unchanged in this vote), the contractor charge for the work, and the administrative fee that offsets staff, mail and equipment costs. He said approximately 60–70% of those assessed fees are collected through property-tax assessments when owners do not pay directly.
Board members indicated this increase was the "low-hanging fruit" in a two-step plan; Dolphin said a separate change to the city ordinance to adjust the fee charged directly to property owners (currently a $200 fee for grass with staggered amounts for repeated trash offenses) will be taken to city council separately.
The board chair moved to accept the administrative fee increases as presented; a member seconded the motion and the board approved it by unanimous voice vote. Dolphin said staff will draft the ordinance amendment and return it to the board before it goes to City Council for publication.
Why it matters: raising the administrative fee affects property owners who receive city abatement for code violations; the city says the change recovers actual processing costs that have increased since 2010.
What's next: staff will draft an amendment to the existing ordinance and present it to the Board of Public Safety before sending it to City Council for enactment.
