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Marion council adopts vacant-property registration ordinance to track and incentivize repairs
Summary
The council approved ordinance 4040 to require registration of properties with no water service for six months and to provide procedures for incentives, maintenance, marketing and annual inspections; staff said the list will come from water-service records and demolition remains a separate process.
The Marion City Council approved an ordinance (4040) requiring registration of vacant buildings and properties that have not had regular water service for six months, aiming to encourage owners to renovate, sell or demolish deteriorating properties.
Wendy of the city's codes office told the council the program is intended to reduce squatters, crime and long-term blight by making it easier to contact owners and to offer incentives such as lien waivers to promote sale or rehabilitation. —The goal here is just movement,— Wendy said, adding the codes office will begin by using water-department data to compile a list of potentially vacant properties.
Council members asked how the registration would interact with demolition authority and enforcement; Wendy said demolition is a separate process but the registration list could be used as an early tool in an enforcement track. The ordinance includes procedures for incentives, maintenance, marketing and annual inspections and directs staff to review water-service lists and send letters to owners once properties are identified.
A motion to approve ordinance 4040 was made and seconded; the council approved the measure by roll call. The council directed staff to review the water-data list and prepare letters to affected property owners and to refine the administrative process for inspections and incentives.
The measure passed on the council's vote during the meeting.
