Moorhead council approves special assessments for unpaid administrative penalties, removes one property

The Moorhead City Council on Sept. 22 approved special assessments tied to unpaid administrative penalties and abatement costs from 2024 following a public hearing and staff presentation.

Christy Laszewski, who oversees code compliance, told the council the assessments cover property maintenance, rental-registration violations, tree removals, unfounded alarms and sanitation building charges. Staff identified 90 properties in the initial notice and allow a one-year repayment schedule for most items; tree-removal assessments carry a five-year repayment option. Laszewski said the city's administrative citation system was approved by the Clay County District Court in 2004 and has been used since 2005.

During the hearing, Moorhead resident William Patterson asked that a $200 assessment related to work on two vehicles at his driveway be waived. He said one vehicle was a long-term restoration project with receipts documenting ownership and that he had arranged to move the car shortly after the inspector's contact. Laszewski recommended the council remove one $100 fee from the resolution earlier in the meeting; following the public comment, council approved the special assessments with the removal of 132520 Third Street South from the resolution.

Laszewski said the city's goal is compliance, that roughly 95% of property owners comply without follow-up, and that staff will adjust timelines where residents report difficulty in meeting deadlines. She also said the city now uses GIS tracking to flag properties that generate more than two calls per year so staff can intervene earlier.

The council approved the resolution after the hearing; staff noted several invoices were paid or adjusted following publication and before the hearing.