A long list of violations – including drug use and distribution, uncontrolled animals, assaults, harassment, noise violations – already exist and could be used to prompt a visit from the police.
Under the ordinance passed by city council Monday night, if a property racks up police calls to the property for items on that list, the city can levy fines up to $1,000 per infraction.
The ordinance’s author – Dona Brady – said during Monday's finance committee meeting that the key to making the new rule work will be police response.
"The key to all of this is documentation, these are documented calls for service, which means the police have to stop and get out of their cars," said Brady.
Since 2006, 2,309 nuisance letters have been sent to property owners, and 38 nuisance properties have been identified so far this year.
The city can already file criminal charges against nuisance property owners and invoice them for city services. This ordinance adds civil penalties if the problems persist.
