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Madison code enforcement reports 46 active vacant/abandoned cases; staff urges owner engagement
Summary
Code enforcement officer Dewey O'Neil told council that the city is tracking dozens of vacant and abandoned properties—46 active cases after new identifications—with long average registry times and limited owner progress on abatements; staff said only one officer handles the caseload and emphasized working with owners to avoid fines.
Dewey O'Neil, Madison’s code enforcement officer, briefed the common council on the city’s vacant and abandoned properties program on June 16 and urged continued attention to properties that have long remained blighted.
O'Neil told the council the city had 42 active cases at the time of his presentation and had just opened several new cases, bringing the active tally to 46. Of the active cases, 23 had registered with the city and 16 had not. He said three or four challenge filings to vacant determinations remain outstanding and that one challenge earlier was upheld by the Board of Public Works.
O'Neil gave key program metrics: for registered properties that submitted abatement plans, the average time on the registry was about 373 days; the average time on the registry overall was roughly 347 days. He said 17 property owners had submitted abatement plans but only one had begun substantial work; 14 properties had been assessed liens and penalties totaling nearly $9,000 to date. O'Neil noted the next enforcement step is rolling and that more penalty assessments are scheduled in coming months.
Council members and the mayor described vacant and abandoned properties as a persistent problem tied to public safety and historic‑district preservation. The mayor and council praised O'Neil’s work and emphasized that cooperation with owners can avoid fines; O'Neil noted the city presently has one staff member handling code enforcement and that the caseload and collection/enforcement work take considerable staff time.
Council requested a district column be added to O'Neil’s spreadsheet for future reports so members can examine cases by neighborhood. O'Neil agreed to send the spreadsheet to council by email after the meeting.
The council asked for continued monitoring and follow‑up at future meetings; O'Neil said he would return with an updated report in roughly three months.
