Cited for Blight
We are dedicated to maintaining the pristine and picturesque beauty of our city. To achieve this, we have established a proactive Anti-Blight department that takes great pride in keeping our community clean and beautiful. Below are the steps for how a Blight case is handled. You can also visit the City Ordinance Chapter 8.76 to learn more.
Initial Complaint and Investigation
When Blight is observed at a location in the City, complaints come into the Health and Social Services Department through 311, phone calls, or walk ins, and reaches the Anti-blight Office. The Anti-Blight and Condemnation Specialist then authenticates the complaint by verifying the address through the GIS system. Depending on the ownership of the property, one of two courses of action may occur.
If the property is City owned, the complaint is rerouted to the appropriate department and remediated.
If the address is privately owned, i.e. a home, the specialist will put the complaint in the system. Inspectors then receive the complaint and visit the property to investigate and take pictures for records.
If blight is NOT found,
pictures are uploaded, and case is closed.
If blight is found,
the inspector will upload the evidence to EnerGov and the property owner will receive a Notice of Violation - Warning via mail and will be due for a 15 day re-inspection.
Notice of Violation-Warning
Because a Blight Violation was found after the complaint, the owner of the property will receive a Notice of Violation-Warning in the mail. The owner has 15 days from the date on the letter to remediate (or fix) the violation on their property before the blight inspector re-inspects the property.
Re-inspection Day 15:
If blight is NOT found,
pictures will be uploaded, case updated to “In Compliance”, no fine will be charged, and the case will be closed
If the blight violation is not remediated,
pictures of the violation will be uploaded to EnerGov, and the property owner will receive a Notice of Violation - Fine $1,500 via mail and will be due for a 30 day re-inspection.
Notice of Violation - Fines
Since the blight violation persisted on the property even after the initial 15-day warning period, the property owner will be sent a Notice of Violation, along with a fine of $1,500 via mail. The owner will have another 15 days from the date mentioned in the Fine - $1,500 letter to rectify the blight violation. If the blight violation is not rectified within that time frame, an additional fine of $1,500 will be issued. The inspector will pay a final visit to the property 15 days after the first fine has been mailed to the owner.
Re-inspection Day 30
If blight is NOT found,
pictures are uploaded and update the file to “In Compliance- Needs Hearing”. A hearing will be scheduled where the property owner will have their chance to plead their case and/or pay the $1,500 fine.
If the inspector still finds blight on the property,
pictures of the violation will be uploaded to EnerGov, and the property owner will receive a Notice of Violation - Fine $3,000 via mail. A hearing will be scheduled where the property owner will have their chance to plead their case and/or pay the $3,000 fine.
Steps for Appeal Hearing or Fine Collection
Appeal hearings take place once a month, usually the 1st Tuesday of the month. They will be scheduled with the hearing officer at least 1 month in advance.
Hearings are scheduled when:
- A property is not in compliance and a fine of $1,500 or $3,000 is pending. Note: an appeal hearing is automatically scheduled for each property owner with a pending fine.
- Notice of hearings are sent at least 15 days prior, but no more than 30 days in advance. Notices are sent out via mail.
At the appeal hearing:
Specialists will provide Hearing officer with a prepared file as constituents arrive. A sign in sheet will be provided. The Hearing Officer will decide the case and the case will be updated with a record of the fine amount ordered and the amount paid once payment is received. All payments must be in the form of a cashiers check or money order.
If the amount is paid in full at or on the day of the hearing,
a copy of the payment is given to the constituent and documents are uploaded on Energov and the case is closed.
If the amount is not paid at the hearing, the file will be held for an additional 10 days as “Pending Pay”.
If paid within those additional 10 days, a copy of the payment is given to the constituent and documents are uploaded on Energov and the case is closed.
If fine is not paid within those 10 days, and the Hearing Officer decided to lower the fine, the fine goes back to the original amount and liened on the property. The case will be closed on our end, and a Lien will be on the property.
If property owner does not show, hearing officer will still fill out a Determination Notice.
A copy of final fine will be mailed to the owner. The file will be held for 10 days;
if paid, a copy of the payment is given to the constituent and documents are uploaded on Energov and the case is closed.
If not paid in 10 days, the determination notice will be given to the Town Clerk’s office and a Lien will be put on the property. A copy of each lien will be mailed out to the property owner. The case will be closed on our end, and a Lien will be on the property.
*Once a lien is on the property you will not be able to sell or refinance your home without paying it first.