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Council confirms abatement costs, directs staff to record special assessments for noncompliant parcels
Summary
Council confirmed an itemized abatement report after staff detailed hard and soft costs and instructed staff to record special assessments on parcels not paying abatement invoices.
The Paradise Town Council confirmed the town’s itemized report of abatement costs and directed staff to record confirmed assessments against parcels where property owners did not pay for abatement work.
Tony (staff) told the council the original abatement program budget was roughly $441,000 and that contractor hard costs for physically abating parcels totaled $269,579. He said finance invoiced a total of approximately $617,400 for abatement activity when administrative (soft) costs were included; staff reported the project came in under the original overall budget by roughly $172,181 because many properties self‑abated before crews were assigned.
Tony clarified the accounting and lien process: administrative and abatement reimbursement costs (the town’s hard and administrative costs to remove hazards) can be recorded as a special assessment and placed on the property tax roll under the applicable code, while individual citation penalties are a separate enforcement mechanism and are not placed on the tax roll as a special assessment. “The town council confirms the cost of the payment, and the cost will become a lien and a special assessment against the real property,” Tony said, adding that citations themselves remain separate.
Why it matters: Council members pressed for clarity about what the soft costs cover and whether property owners can obtain an itemized breakdown; staff said they can provide itemized billing on request. Several council members asked staff to confirm that prior enforcement visits and administrative actions were included in the recoverable soft costs but that statutory fines are not bundled into the special assessment.
Council action and vote: Council member Bowen moved confirmation, seconded by Council member Lang. The council recorded aye votes and the motion passed. Staff will record the assessments against parcels as appropriate and adjust the list to reflect recently paid accounts.
Ending: Staff said the program relied heavily on community self‑compliance—259 of 396 original properties self‑abated—and that the confirmation is the final administrative step to recover town costs where property owners did not comply.
