Residents back vacancy ordinance goals; staff to refine draft after FlashVote and owner outreach

City staff on Sept. 24 reviewed a draft commercial vacancy (re‑occupancy) ordinance and presented results from a FlashVote survey of 422 Citrus Heights residents. The staff presentation framed the ordinance as a preventative tool to keep vacant commercial properties secure, maintained and market ready.

Casey Campanara and Economic Development Director Megan Huber described draft elements including owner notification and registration, minimum exterior maintenance and security standards, and a fee structure to recover administrative costs. Staff said the initial draft was shaped by outreach to the Sunrise Marketplace property improvement district and a community workshop where participants asked for exemptions for well‑maintained properties, more time before registration or enforcement, and tiered enforcement.

Huber presented FlashVote results: 68% of respondents have noticed long‑term commercial vacancies and consider them a public problem; 72% said vacancies detract from the city’s image or livability; and residents prioritized exterior upkeep (85%) and security standards (61%) as solutions. When asked whether they would support a policy requiring owner registration, maintenance standards and fees, staff said combined 'somewhat' and 'strongly' support totaled about 79%.

Council members asked staff to collect more quantitative input from property owners and noted historically low response rates to business surveys. Staff replied they have conducted direct outreach to commercial property owners, used the city’s business bulletin and will continue outreach, including a public workshop this fall or winter. Huber summarized: “we need a quick and direct way to get ahold of these property owners,” and staff will refine the ordinance to address concerns about exemptions, reasonable time frames and tiered enforcement before returning to council.