Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Property Maintenance Enforcement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Topeka committee expands vegetation, vehicle and abatement enforcement while stressing help for residents
Summary
City staff told the Public Health and Safety Committee that the property maintenance program now enforces woody vines, brush and volunteer saplings, and that PMU has increased abatement tonnage even as case counts fall; officials said the city will continue to pair enforcement with volunteer and grant-based assistance.
The Topeka City Public Health and Safety Committee heard staff on June 11 describe stepped-up enforcement under the city's property maintenance initiative and plans to pair that enforcement with community resources.
Property Maintenance Director John Shardine told the committee the vegetation ordinance was expanded several years ago to cover "woody vines, brush, and volunteer saplings" and that enforcement is now at full scale. "We have currently 600 vegetation cases open with PMU. We average 70% compliance rate. To date we have abated over 200 properties," Shardine said. He added that the city is giving additional time to property owners during the rainy season to allow reasonable compliance.
Shardine described how the department documents violations: inspectors use an orange measuring stick and before-and-after photos to establish a defensible standard (12 inches is the cited threshold) and contractors are trained to take those photographs and request reinspections where appropriate. He said the department seeks voluntary compliance and will pursue abatement only after outreach and, if needed, a warrant when properties are fenced or posted "no trespassing." "If the notice comes back unserved, we always reach out to the property owner anyway before we take legal action," Shardine said.
The committee reviewed abatement workload and outcomes. Staff reported 159 properties abated so far this year compared with 259 at this point last year, but said the tonnage removed rose to 892 tons this year from 348 tons at the same time last year, a 156% increase. Committee members and staff attributed the higher tonnage to the removal of large, previously overlooked "dump sites" and hidden abandoned properties.
PMU also recently assumed enforcement of abandoned vehicles on roadways. Shardine said staff generally identify the registered owner, contact them and allow 48 hours to move a reported abandoned vehicle before removal; in-yard inoperable vehicles must be on an approved improved surface or be removed within a 120-day window for backyard storage. "When it comes to abandoned vehicles on roadways, we just now started to enforce that ordinance probably in the last 60 days," he said.
Committee members asked about notice timelines and due process. Shardine said the city mails notices first class and provides 15 days from the letter date for compliance (state statute requires 10 days by default); owners may appeal to a hearing officer for an informal review. He also said the city tries to avoid taking property and prefers to work with owners and community partners such as Habitat for Humanity to assist elderly or resource-limited residents.
On vacant or condemned structures, Shardine said exteriors are held to the same standard across vacant, rental and owner-occupied properties and owners must secure unoccupied structures. The committee discussed tax-sale delays and redevelopment, and staff said Leah Bowling in redevelopment will lead a vacant-properties initiative and work to streamline tax-sale and rehabilitation options.
The committee asked staff to add clear guidance to the city website and handouts (for example, county waste pickup options and how long notices allow) and to continue balancing enforcement with community assistance. The committee will revisit code language and fines in a July session and review vacant-property strategies later in the year.
