Update–City Council’s 9 Step Process of Cleaning Up “Nuisance” Properties, 7 For-1 Against
December 8th, 2009 by Joe BurgessMEDC director Truman Hamilton met with the Monticello City Council, Thursday night, for their planned committee meeting to discuss the process of dealing with properties that have been reported to be run down and/or abondoned.
After the meeting, MonticelloLive asked each of the eight council members if they were in favor of proceeding with the process of dealing with potentially “nuisance properties”, as explained by Hamilton. The only council member who stated that he was opposed to the measures was Judge Clifton Bond. All others stated that they were in favor of proceeding with the 9 steps, as they were described in the meeting.
Hamilton presented the following list to the group, outlining the order in which events are to take place in the process of dealing with the property owners of those potentially “nuisance properties.”
1. Property identified that requires attention.
2. Notice sent to property owner and to council members.
a. Council inspect the property
3. Council discuss conditions of property and determine action if needed.
4. If action is required, set date and time to meet with property owner.
5. Notify the property owner of date and time of meeting to discuss property
6. Meet with property owner, provide property owner with notice of deficiencies and required remediation, establish date for remediation to be completed.
7. After remediation completion date, meet to review progress of property owner. Given consideration of progress either declare property acceptable, extend completion date or declare the property a nuisance.
8. If the property owner is given an extension, meet after that extension date with the owner to review the progress. Given consideration of the progress either declare property acceptable, extend completion date or declare the property a nuisance
9. If the property is declared a nuisance, the council can by ordinance condemn the property. At that time, the property owner must be provided with a description of the property and a reason the property was condemned. If the property owner does not remove the offending condition within 30 days of the Ordinance, the City Building Inspector or person designated can take action as directed by the council to resolve the offending condition.
Monticello’s City Ordinance 630 is authorized under Arkansas Law 14-56-203, to raise or remove any buildings or houses that, in the opinion of the city council, have become dilapidated, unsightly, unsafe, or obnoxious.
Also, Arkansas Law 14-54-904 provides the guidelines for collecting a lien that the city may place on a property that will “provide for the reimbursement of costs, including title search fees and reasonable attorney’s fees”.
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I do believe that there are moore important things here in town that need to be adressed, like bridges that should have been replaced a long time ago. Finish what you started and then work on something else.
I believe properties that are causing harm or could cause harm to another resident of our town is something that needs to be addressed. Thank you for putting this video on there. It shows that the city is not picking on anyone. They are trying to be fair. The people that own these homes need to see that they are a problem to their neighbors that are helpless without the help of the city. I don’t think the requests of the counsel members will be unreasonable. You can see that the city has everyone’s best interests at heart. Both the property owner and the citizens of our town. I really don’t want to see our town rot and we have an ordinance on the books that needs to be enforced.
i hope this goes for some of these old store buildings around here that are just sitting there rotting down also. its not just homes that are sores in this town. we have buildings that either someone want rent out cause of compition and some that just arnt anygood for nothing anymore. if your gonna clean up the town clean the whole town up. not just part of it.
I did not say that the ordinance violated state law. Mr. Truman is misquoting me from the previous meeting.