City staff previews ordinances on vacant-property registration, insurance requirements and a municipal civil infractions bureau

City of Benton Harbor public-safety staff and the city attorney told commissioners they will bring several proposals to committee, including a vacant-property registration ordinance, a requirement that property owners carry liability insurance to cover losses if their property catches fire, minor updates to parking and the emergency snow route wording, and a municipal civil infractions bureau.

Public Safety Director McGinnis said the proposals will be presented to Commissioner Henderson's committee and cautioned that the municipal civil infraction bureau should be presented carefully."One of which was the vacant property ordinance for vacant property, make sure that they're registered," Director McGinnis said, and also described a requirement to "require property owners... to have liability insurance in case their property catches on fire." He said the bureau concept is intended to provide flexibility and reduce the need for residents to go to court.

City Attorney Seneca described how the municipal civil infraction bureau would work: it would allow citizens to come to city hall and pay civil-infraction tickets, but payments tied to blight would be held until cleanup occurs. "It allows people to come in kind of at their leisure," Seneca said, adding the program would aim to help citizens who otherwise must take time off work to appear in court.

These items were presented as committee-level proposals and no ordinance was adopted at the meeting; staff will bring them back for committee review and modification before any vote by the full commission.