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Ironton council doubles early fines, adopts amended vacant-property ordinance
Summary
Councilors debated and approved an amended ordinance (26-46) that raises the initial vacant-property penalty from $400 to $800 and accelerates escalation to a higher maximum; the ordinance also includes provisions offering low- or no-cost window graphics for vacant downtown storefronts.
The Ironton City Council amended and adopted ordinance 26-46, changing the city’s vacant-property enforcement scheme and adding measures intended to improve the appearance of downtown storefronts. During the first-reading debate council members argued the existing $400 initial fine lacked sufficient deterrent power. One council member proposed increasing the first-year penalty to $800 and accelerating the escalation to reach a maximum faster; another member proposed doubling fines if legally permissible.
Councilors also discussed a new program to make decorative graphics available at low or no cost to owners of vacant downtown properties, as a way to improve streetscape appearance while the property remains unoccupied. The council moved to amend section 4 to raise the initial fine and the maximum escalation and then suspended rules to give the ordinance immediate second and third readings before adopting the amended ordinance by roll-call.
A council member noted the ordinance’s language says fees must be “reasonable,” and several members said the city should be mindful of statutory limits and potential court challenges. The transcript records a specific amendment: changing Section 4’s first-year fine from $400 to $800 and increasing the series maximum (discussed in the meeting as rising to $12,800 under the amendment). Councilors described additional enforcement measures later in a separate part of the code to apply consumer-price indexing for fee schedules.
