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Council delays vote on Henry Aaron Loop vacant-structure registry after extensive fee and notice debate
Summary
Council members reviewed proposed amendments that would move registration of potentially vacant buildings to a city-initiated notice system and rework the fee schedule. Members asked for clearer language and more time; the item was held over for one week for redlines and stakeholder review.
The Mobile City Council on Oct. 21 reviewed proposed amendments to Chapter 52 (Real Property Maintenance and Enforcement) that would establish a vacant-structure registry for properties in the Henry Aaron Loop area and delayed action for one week.
Councilman Reynolds, who presented the changes, said the amendment shifts the initial registration duty from all owners to a city-driven notice process: when staff identify a potentially vacant building, the city would place notice on the property and the owner would then be required to demonstrate the property is occupied, claim an exemption or be placed on the registry and billed. "The intent of the changes were to remove some of the ambiguities within the ordinance so that it's not so subjective to folks," Reynolds said during the discussion.
The council focused on the proposed fee schedule. Under the ordinance as read, a commercial structure without residential units would pay a minimum of $1,000 or a per-square-foot charge (previously 5¢ per square foot), which council members said treated very different building sizes the same. Reynolds outlined a restructured option that retains a $1,000 floor but applies a higher per-square-foot rate for larger buildings so charges scale with size. Council members expressed concern the present wording leaves ambiguity about when the higher rate applies and asked staff to provide absolute, clear thresholds.
Council members also discussed notice methods. The amendment calls for both a posted notice on the building and mailing to property owners, including sections that permit certified mail. Members requested confirmation that notices will effectively reach owners and flagged administrative burdens on staff.
Given the ordinance's length (about 10 pages) and the potential financial and property impacts, the council agreed to circulate the redlined language and requested additional review time. The item was held over one week to allow staff to distribute revisions and for stakeholders to examine the fee structure and other changes.
The clerk said she will distribute the revised ordinance and the council anticipates further discussion at the next meeting.
