Columbus housing council appoints two members, authorizes inspection findings letters

The Columbus Housing Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to appoint Matthew Hanson and Deborah Diggs to the council and to accept the residential tax-incentive program's annual exterior inspection findings, authorizing the administration to issue letters to property owners asking them to remedy identified issues within six months.

Jeremy Heater Druitt, development program manager for the residential tax-incentive program, opened the annual meeting and introduced staff from the division, including Edward Donis Madison, Aaron Prosser and members of the ResTax team. He said the council now has a full seven-member roster after the appointments were approved by a unanimous vote. "Welcome, Matthew and Deborah as of a few moments ago," Druitt told the group.

Druitt described the inspections as the program's "key annual item," saying the housing-technical team completed an exterior inspection cycle in January and February for properties that currently have an active abatement. "We want to make sure under Ohio Revised Code rules that these properties are kept in good shape, both in terms of cosmetics, but also in terms of safety," he said.

Staff reported that the housing-technical team inspected 2,768 properties this year and that the administration reduced an initial list of roughly 85 findings to about 70 items they considered appropriate for remediation. Druitt gave three examples cited by inspectors: painted boards made to look like windows on a single-family home at Dakota Avenue; leftover wooden concrete forms at a new-build in the Grandview Yard development; and a repeat finding on a historic structure on Deshler Avenue where repairs must follow historic-preservation channels.

Druitt said the administration will send letters to owners of properties with findings asking for repairs within six months and noted the city has the authority to revoke an abatement for repeated or continual negligence. "It is within our right to revoke the abatement. That is not our goal. We do want to help the property owner get the property in good condition first," he said.

During discussion, new council member Robert Williams asked whether inspectors use a prescriptive metric. Druitt answered that the inspections are not the same as code violations and that inspectors apply professional judgment within broad categories such as safety, physical character and signs of neglect. He said the initial inspection list was pared down so that minor deterioration that would not justify revocation (for example, a single missing board in a back fence) was excluded.

The council voted to accept the inspection report and to authorize staff to issue the finding letters; the vote was unanimous. The meeting concluded with routine scheduling and a reminder that the council is required to meet once a year in March, though the chair said staff can convene additional check-ins or an orientation for newer members.

Ending: Council members said they would like an orientation or refresher materials for new members explaining the council's role and the division's processes. Druitt agreed to provide documentation and to schedule a January touch point ahead of the required March meeting.