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[COMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR] ORDINANCE NO. 260399
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Sponsor: Mayor Quinton Lucas
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
Directing the City Manager to develop and publish a plain-language vacant property maintenance guide consolidating existing standards applicable to owners of vacant buildings and structures under Chapters 26, 48, and 56 of the Code of Ordinances, to make such guide publicly available and provide it to registrants under Article VI of Chapter 56, and to develop and implement a city-wide vacant property registration outreach campaign; and appropriating funds from the Development Services Fund to carry out these purposes.
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WHEREAS, vacant and unsecured buildings pose significant risks to public safety, invite unauthorized entry, and contribute to the deterioration of surrounding neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, early intervention through proper mothballing and securing of vacant structures can prevent minor deterioration from escalating into dangerous-building conditions requiring costly remediation or demolition; and
WHEREAS, mothballing measures should function as temporary stabilization tools, not as substitutes for maintenance, rehabilitation, or good-faith sale, with clear standards to protect the structural integrity and character-defining features of affected buildings; and
WHEREAS, standardizing communications about the board-up process, including adherence to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards for marking vacant structures, enhances the safety of emergency responders; and
WHEREAS, the Code of Ordinances already establishes comprehensive standards governing the maintenance, securing, and upkeep of vacant buildings and structures, including requirements found in Chapters 26, 48, and 56 of this code; and
WHEREAS, public engagement surrounding recent vacant property legislation has revealed that many property owners are unaware of their existing obligations under the code, not beca...
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