Minutes - Council - 06/26/2007 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Assistant Community Development Director Frolik indicated the ordinance could be introduced and scheduled for a work session to work through the elements or it could be scheduled for a work session and then brought back for introduction and adoption. Mayor Pro Tem Elvig indicated he has received three calls in favor of this. There are people that have been very upset in the past about conditions near their home, and in trying to do something have found themselves handcuffed. Council has been working on this for a long time. Councilmember Dehen stated he agrees with the abatement program and would like to touch on the five points outlined by Ms. Frolik. Hearing examiner: Under the Coon Rapids program their statute was written with the hearing examiner, which is a fact finder to listen to any appeals made by the property owner. The City of Coon Rapids uses one of their boards to handle that. He thinks Ramsey's version of the ordinance should allow the City to use either option, either a hearing office or one of the City's boards, such as the Planning Commission or Board of Adjustment. He thinks most people when confronted with the issue will get their stuff cleaned up. Recouping. staff cost:. Coon Rapids had also adopted an excessive use ordinance, which is essentially an ordinance that hammers people more if the City is spending more resources on specific properties. There are a number of bad properties in his ward, which is Ward 3, and in his opinion the City is spending a lot of time on specific properties. An excess use ordinance would allow the City to progressively increase the ante for recouping the cost. He is in favor for progressive fees that go up as the City is using resources to get people to clean up. Selection of subcontractors: Typically this relates to a vehicle or dumpsters being used. Ramsey has a towing service that could be used and there are a number of businesses with dumpsters. City Code amendments necessary to a successful abatement program: A lot of City ordinances that are currently in place need to be tightened up, one of which is the number of vehicles the City allows to be outside in someone's yard. He has discussed this with City Attorney Tom Fitzpatrick who has pleaded with the City to adopt a number of vehicles because now the City is in a situation where they almost have to show that the vehicle is not operational and it is sometimes difficult to get a property owner to cooperate with that. If there are limits on a specific number of vehicles that can be parked outside Mr. Fitzpatrick thought that could be . effective. These other ordinances need to be cleaned up to make this abatement ordinance functional. It will only be as good as the underlying ordinances that define things like nuisances. He pointed out there are a number of properties that simply tarp their junk right now. Application of the abatement program: Coon Rapids has been complaint based and they allow city staff to initiate the complaint. His suggestion is that it should be complaint based, but staff, or police, or someone else can initiate the complaint if they are out on a call and they observe something. Councilmember Look stated he is in agreement with this abatement program with a couple of conditions. One is with regards to the agricultural properties. Sometimes farmers keep their tractors in the open, and with larger acreage properties it may be more difficult to keep those under roof; there might be a need for an exception for that. He would be in favor of the complaint based portion of the program. There is a perception that the big bad City is coming after someone and he would like to encourage that the program is complaint based. What he read in the Ramsey Resident about this program described a more wide brush approach to this. City Council / June 26, 2007 Page 29 of 38