Paradise Council Authorizes Abatement of 241 Priority Parcels, Creates Exceptions Committee

The Paradise Town Council voted Nov. 12 to authorize staff to begin abatement work on 241 priority parcels that remain out of compliance with the town’s vegetative‑growth nuisance ordinance and to approve a related budget adjustment to cover contractor and administrative costs.

The action followed a staff report showing the town initially identified 396 properties as fire‑risk nuisances after the Camp Fire; 155 have come into compliance, leaving 241 parcels currently eligible for abatement. Community Development Director Tony Lindsay told the council the town has mailed notices and physically posted them and that the proposed abatement list prioritizes properties near structures or on fire pathways. Lindsay said staff recommends beginning abatement “as soon as possible due to the significant amount of overgrown vegetation” while noting weather and contractor scheduling could cause delays.

Residents who own affected parcels spoke at the public hearing. Kim Bringer said she had already cleaned her property “four times this year” and complained notices were mailed after the work was done. Property owner Raylen Hall, representing family holdings, described paying “well over $21,000” to clear acreage and said some large parcels are difficult or uneconomical to fully clear; she asked for reprieve and more time to continue progress.

Council members and staff said the ordinance’s purpose is to address abandoned or persistently noncompliant parcels that create risks for neighboring properties and insurance cancellations. Town counsel and staff offered a pathway short of immediate abatement for owners who can show active cleanup: such properties would be deprioritized and moved toward the bottom of the abatement list to allow time for voluntary remediation. Staff also said it maintains a contractor list residents can use to arrange clearance work.

The council’s motion, approved by roll call, directed staff to: (1) proceed with abatement on noncompliant parcels; (2) deprioritize parcels where owners demonstrate active cleanup or contractual arrangements with contractors; (3) approve the recommended budget adjustment to fund abatement work; and (4) create an exceptions committee to evaluate large‑acreage or special‑circumstance properties. The motion passed unanimously.

Council members emphasized the town’s intent is not to seize property but to reduce community risk. Mayor Lon said the ordinance targets properties “that have abandoned their property and are harming the rest of us.” Staff will return with implementation details, including how properties will be documented on a case‑by‑case basis and how the exceptions committee will be established in the code.

Next steps: staff will update the abatement schedule, apply the deprioritization process for owners who demonstrate active cleanup, prepare the ordinance amendment to create the exceptions committee, and implement the approved budget adjustments to initiate contractor work.