Council debates nuisance‑property ordinance draft; landlords’ obligations and tenant protections top concerns

City Manager Nicholas introduced a draft nuisance‑property ordinance based on a Saint Albans example and asked council for initial feedback before a first reading. The draft would designate a property as a nuisance if, for instance, it generated three or more criminal citations under the ordinance and would require property owners to initiate abatement steps — including beginning eviction proceedings when appropriate — rather than succeed in eviction within a fixed timeframe.

Councilors raised multiple concerns. The mayor and others emphasized tenant rights and the practical limits of eviction in Vermont; “So how do we go about saying to that drug dealer… we want your drug dealing *** in council chambers?” the mayor asked rhetorically while pushing for balanced accountability. Councilor Spalding and others worried about the process being subjective or abused by neighbors, and asked whether enforcement would be led by the fire marshal, police, or a cross‑jurisdictional officer as in Saint Albans. Staff responded that Saint Albans’ approach orders initiation of proceedings rather than guaranteed completion and that the city could craft safeguards: citations (not mere complaints) drive the threshold, and the ordinance can offer the city discretion to work with landlords who are actively addressing issues.

Council also asked how the ordinance would apply to large property owners such as the housing authority and to absentee landlords; staff said state and federal constraints (including HUD rules for housing authorities) may require tailored approaches but reported positive results from Saint Albans’ experience in reducing problem‑property calls. The manager said he would consult Saint Albans counterparts and the city attorney and return to council with a revised draft reflecting these concerns.