Title
Vacant Properties Registration Draft Ordinance Recommendation
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Recommend approval of the draft Ordinance establishing a vacant properties registration program to the full City Council.
Report
Issue:
Whether to recommend approval of the draft Ordinance establishing a vacant properties registration program to the full City Council.
Staff Contact:
John Mahone, Lead Code Enforcement Officer, Community Planning Development, 360.753.8393
Presenter(s):
John Mahone Lead Code Enforcement Officer, Community Planning Development
Background and Analysis:
At the January Land Use & Environment Committee meeting, Code Enforcement staff gave a briefing on the status of Code Enforcement programs. During the briefing staff discussed the potential of vacant property registration program. The Committee supported the drafting of an Ordinance to create code to establish the program. Staff will present the draft Ordinance to the Committee for recommendation to the full Council for consideration.
The Olympia Code Enforcement program plays an important role in the health, safety and welfare of the City of Olympia. Part of code enforcement officers’ responsibilities are to enforce adopted property maintenance codes (OMC 16.06). The establishment of a vacant property registration program will assist with addressing issues that sometimes arise with vacant properties. Additionally, periodically Code Enforcement staff receive inquiries from the public about registering vacant properties.
Vacant properties can be challenging when they become attractive nuisances in our community. When issues occur, locating absentee property owners and ensuring that the actual property owner/s are held responsible for the condition of their abandon/vacant property is a difficult and time-consuming process.
Having a vacant property registration program can assist with locating absentee property owners and ensure there is an entity or person responsible for abandon/vacant properties.
The goal of the registration program will be to have direct contact information for a property owner or representative; having vital information available to disseminate with other departments when needed and quicker response times to address abandoned/vacant property conditions.
The cities of Bremerton and Auburn have abandoned/vacant property registration programs and staff have incorporated some of their ‘lessons learned’ into the proposed Ordinance.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Enforcement of civil codes and maintenance of private properties is of strong interest to the entire community.
Options:
1. Recommend approval of the draft Ordinance establishing a vacant properties registration program to the full City Council.
2. Do not recommend approval of the draft Ordinance establishing a vacant properties registration program to the full City Council.
3. Recommend approval of the proposed Ordinance with specific modifications.
Financial Impact:
A proposed registration fee would offset administrative costs for the program. Community Planning and Development’s analysis of the number of properties likely to be required to register shows that the vacant property registration program, as proposed, can be administered within the existing City budget.
Attachments:
Draft Ordinance