Residents warn of property‑rights abuses as council debates 'dangerous buildings' ordinance; item tabled for legal review

Planning staff (Nathan) presented an ordinance amending the Unified Development Code to clarify procedures for declaring dangerous or substandard buildings, assign review to the Board of Adjustment and set public‑notice and hearing steps. Staff said the proposal primarily connects existing definitions and provides administrative processes including inspection, entry with consent and the possibility of administrative warrants in contested cases.

Public commenters at the hearing strongly opposed the change. Joel McGregor said similar processes in other cities had been abused by inspectors and resulted in warrants and lock changes without adequate justification. "This is a clear violation of people's rights," McGregor said. Rena Hardeman said the proposed standard of "visual clues" could become "neighbors spying on neighbors" and described prior run‑ins with officers she said were later dismissed; she asked the council to protect long‑time property owners from legal and financial burdens.

Council members expressed a range of views: some supported linking the definitions to a quasi‑judicial board to add due process, others asked for clearer definitions to protect agricultural structures and to avoid overreach. Staff and the mayor noted legal constraints (the town cannot discriminate between residential and commercial property types in enforcement). The council voted to table the ordinance and directed staff to take legal questions into executive session and return with a redlined version for future consideration.