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Bonduel committee hears pushback over new vacant‑building registration ordinance
Summary
Village staff told the Committee of the Whole that letters were sent to owners after the Redevelopment Authority and Village Board approved a vacant‑building registration ordinance; some owners are upset and the village attorney said the rule is modeled on other municipalities and is legally enforceable.
The Village of Bonduel’s Committee of the Whole on July 23 heard concerns from staff about owner objections to a recently adopted vacant‑building registration ordinance and was told the rule is legally supportable and tied to redevelopment incentives.
Jesse Rankin, the village’s director of municipal operations, said letters were mailed this week to owners of vacant properties after the Redevelopment Authority and Village Board approved an ordinance requiring owners to register empty buildings and permit inspections every six months. Rankin told the committee that the RDA hopes the registration requirement, along with available façade grants, will encourage reuse and improve downtown business prospects.
Rankin also cited a recent infrastructure incident: a vacant property experienced a water‑line break before the meter that flooded a basement and produced unmetered water loss the village must account for to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. "We had a vacant property that the water line broke before the meter and flooded the basement," Rankin said, and the resulting unmetered loss must be explained in the annual PSC report, he told the committee.
Village Attorney Tyler Pluff was present to discuss the ordinance’s legality. According to the meeting record, the attorney said the Bonduel ordinance was based on regulations used by other municipalities and that municipal registration and inspection rules of this type are legally enforceable. Rankin said he expects some vacant‑building owners to attend the full Village Board meeting in August to voice objections; Pluff will be present to respond.
Why it matters: The ordinance pairs regulation with redevelopment incentives. The RDA can offer façade grants to support businesses in downtown buildings, while the registration and inspection requirement aims to protect infrastructure and public utilities from unreported damage. Property owners contend the rule is burdensome; the matter is set to return to the Board in August for further discussion.
Next steps: The Committee of the Whole did not vote on changing the ordinance at this meeting. Village staff notified affected owners and the Board will address public comments at its August meeting, with Village Attorney Tyler Pluff available to explain legal authority and enforcement options.
