HomeMy WebLinkAbout092424 - National Strategies for Combatting Blight_ MuniReg Advisory -September 24_ 2024ALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
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Good Morning
We're excited to bring you the latest updates and national best practices for mitigating vacant and abandoned properties, specifically tailored to the needs of municipal governments
like yours.
Feel free to share this valuable information with your colleagues or other relevant parties within your municipality.
For newcomers to our newsletter, we typically release updates monthly, occasionally bi-monthly. As community challenges are often interconnected, solutions developed elsewhere can provide
invaluable insights for your municipality.
At MuniReg, we are dedicated to understanding the unique challenges municipal governments face in combating "blight" and offering customized solutions to address these issues effectively.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you'd like to explore how MuniReg can further assist your municipality, please contact us at admin@munireg.com <mailto:admin@munireg.com>
.
Empower Yourselves
What a quote by Bob Staedler, principal executive with Silicon Valley Synergy!
"The Code Enforcement Division needs to come to the City Council and tell them what they need to be successful"
Working with MuniReg alleviates time consuming and frustrating burdens like chasing after property owners and communicating with banks for improved property maintenance - all at no cost.
Code enforcement everywhere (not just San Jose) need to bring these solutions to their respective administration for their own benefit and for the community they serve.
To view the article, please click here. <https://7pkkw.r.a.d.sendibm1.com/mk/cl/f/sh/1t6Af4OiGsDg0kVNGBeNYjNuZW3hIa/ntOQKAe0hLSo>
The challenges continue....
Six recent articles relate the ongoing challenges local government have with dealing with vacant and/or inadequately maintained properties.
* The Proper Approach or Wasted Time and Money?
A recent editorial in the St Louis Dispatch provides a telling headline ("Editorial: Boarding-and-billing vacant properties can't be the best solution") and potent quotes that appear
to clearly demonstrate a huge wasted opportunity
* "Generally, the buildings are vacant in the first place because they’re in depopulated neighborhoods where investment is scarce. Shoring them up to prevent them from decaying further
only makes sense if there’s a realistic possibility of marketing them.
Usually, there isn’t. Which means the likeliest long-term outcome — after a significant investment of public dollars — is continued vacancy and the resumption of decay."
* "the city repair bills to the owners are often in the six figures, likely exceeding the entire market values of the properties. Which means the city will ultimately either have to
forgive those debts or add the buildings to the city’s already brimming land bank of vacant and abandoned properties."
* "Among photos with Barker’s story on the program is an especially telling one of a vacant building with a new, city-funded two-story wooden deck and staircase leading up to new brickwork
— and boarded-up windows overlooking a still-overgrown abandoned lot.
What, exactly, is the plan here?"
Dealing with these properties is an extremely complex issue, this is a clear example why proactive preventative measures like a VPRO are needed.
Let us help you!
To view the article, please click here <https://7pkkw.r.a.d.sendibm1.com/mk/cl/f/sh/1t6Af4OiGsE8LShneXkIizRjxL2R0e/6NPHtkeCVt0K> . (subscription required)
* Step 1, Complete
Though "Faster action on blight is good for neighborhoods" is a headline one can readily agree with, there is more to the story.
Getting the right "stick" on "the books" is a great first step, but to ensure more frequent and accelerated actions, additional resources need to me made available**.
With the rare exception, funding and training for code enforcement has not been the priority at State Legislatures.
In the interim, more focus should be given to
a) ensure code enforcement is utilizing all available resources, internally and externally, and;
b) updating local ordinances and;
c) ensuring policies and procedures (and their respective resources) are created, implemented and utilized with proactivity, efficiency and logic.
On the last point, the article discusses "properties which don’t need much attention" but even "simple" grass/weed cutting can add up, especially with limited funding and staffing.
If there were ways to get others to do it shouldn't they be utilized?
To view the article, please click here <https://7pkkw.r.a.d.sendibm1.com/mk/cl/f/sh/1t6Af4OiGsEagAuE2tqDtFVZLA1Aii/QTslRj3pIhOt> .
**Three recent quotes
1) Mississippi Secretary of State: "Jackson only has three Code Enforcement Officers who serve as boots on the ground within the city limits".............."while they are incredibly
understaffed <https://7pkkw.r.a.d.sendibm1.com/mk/cl/f/sh/1t6Af4OiGsF30t6eRFw93VZOiyzuQm/ZNTrtceTZwx5>
2) KRQE/Albuquerque City Councilor Joaquin Baca: "Right now, if there’s a code violation, essentially because it’s citywide, and we’re always short personnel. Nothing gets done unless
something gets called in" <https://7pkkw.r.a.d.sendibm1.com/mk/cl/f/sh/1t6Af4OiGsFVLbJ4pc24DldE6nye8q/nzQXI4YIZkPe>
3) North Country Now "Code Enforcement officers in the village of Massena are handling roughly 700 calls on average each month, a case load that is nearly ten times what the department
was seeing two decades ago. According to Code Enforcement Officer Aaron Hardy, the department has remained relatively the same since the late 1990's, with the same manpower." <https://7pkkw.r.a.d.se
ndibm1.com/mk/cl/f/sh/1t6Af4OiGsFxgJVVDy7zO1h3UcxNqu/-m8ohFG3QH51>
* Pushback on Blight Mitigation Efforts
* Adrian, MI: A group of people in Adrian are gearing up for a fight over the City's new point-of-sale inspection program.
WTVG "Fight to repeal Adrian home inspection ordinance" <https://7pkkw.r.a.d.sendibm1.com/mk/cl/f/sh/1t6Af4OiGsGQ11hvcKDuYHkssRw7Yy/7q5R9UDfzUqs>
* Pushback on Property Registries
* Edison, NJ: The owners of more than 40 apartment complexes in Edison, New Jersey, totaling 8,216 units, have filed a lawsuit challenging its new housing ordinance, which among other
requirements establishes registration fees of $100 per rental unit, according to court documents.
MultifamilyDive.com "Owners of more than 8,000 units sue NJ town over new fees <https://7pkkw.r.a.d.sendibm1.com/mk/cl/f/sh/1t6Af4OiGsGsLjuM0gJpiXoiGGurH2/Bkex505o9GqQ> "
* East Palestine, OH: A lawsuit questioning the constitutionality of East Palestine’s vacant building registration ordinance and its fees and fines is now moved to federal court.
Morning Journal: Vacant buildings lawsuit moved to federal court <https://7pkkw.r.a.d.sendibm1.com/mk/cl/f/sh/1t6Af4OiGsHKgS6mP2PksnsXe5taz6/qcYy2OmLR9zQ>
* When the negligent owner is ..................the State!
* A lot to unpack in a featured article from the Clarion Ledger (MS) titled "State-owned tax forfeited properties are not cleaned up by the state. Who does it then?"
Though several positives are outlined, several important issues need to be addressed. The good news is they are clearly on the radar and hopefully relief is on the way.
In the interim, especially with understaffing and lack of funding as outlined in the article, code enforcement should be empowered with all tools and resources available.
We are here to help!
To view the article and an earlier related article, please click here <https://7pkkw.r.a.d.sendibm1.com/mk/cl/f/sh/1t6Af4OiGsHn1AJCnOVg33wN1usKhA/S0vmY5HGYIRA>
**Please note related link (above) to press release from the Mississippi Secretary of State
Michael Halpern
President
866-MUNIREG | 866-686-4734
mhalpern@munireg.com <mailto:mhalpern@munireg.com>
www.MuniReg.com <https://7pkkw.r.a.d.sendibm1.com/mk/cl/f/sh/7nVU1aA2nfsZpYrw79RJzEsOff3pZGG/1DltFbW8Z1s3>
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