Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Building Code Registry topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council adopts building-code amendments, creates registries for vacant and long-term rental properties
Summary
After a public hearing, council approved ordinance 25-68 updating Part 13 of the city's code. The changes adopt the latest residential code by reference, add enforcement/penalties, repeal outdated chapters (including contractor registration), and create registries for abandoned foreclosures, long-term rentals and vacant properties; council suspended rules and approved the measure on Nov. 24.
The Delaware City Council voted Nov. 24 to approve an update to the city—uilding code that includes a new registry for abandoned foreclosures, long-term rentals and vacant properties, and removes several outdated chapters, including annual contractor registration.
Miss Perron of the planning and community development department said the code update is largely housekeeping to align chapters with a current fee schedule and to add consistent enforcement language. "This is really kind of a housekeeping, amendment to part 13," she told council, explaining that the update adopts by reference the most recent residential code and clarifies which board hears appeals.
The new Chapter 1304 creates three registries: banks would register abandoned foreclosures after sheriff sale; owners of four or more separate long-term rental properties (not apartment complexes) must register so staff can reach property owners for complaints or maintenance issues; and code enforcement may require registration of properties determined to be vacant to allow ongoing monitoring and contact.
Perron said the contractor-registration chapter is proposed for removal because it had become burdensome and did not effectively deter unscrupulous contractors; staff plans community outreach to educate residents on hiring legitimate contractors. She also described moving provisions about relocating buildings into the permits chapter and removing an outdated fence chapter.
Public comment supported the vacant-property registry. A resident asked whether purchasers of properties on the registry would be required to re-register; Perron said a new owner must register if the property remains vacant. After a motion to suspend the three-reading rule carried, council approved ordinance 25-68 on roll call.
Votes at a glance: the suspension of rules to permit immediate adoption passed (roll call recorded one 'no' on the suspension vote) but the ordinance itself passed unanimously on the final vote.
Next steps: staff will implement online registration forms, set timelines for each registry type, and conduct public outreach before enforcement begins; the ordinance was enacted with the effective dates described in the measure.
