01-12-15 Council Agneda & Packet

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S�s\_� � 6 %_ �( - R, -t y Substitute Bill No.59 -14 Ordinance No. AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, AMENDING SECTION 6 -37.1 OF THE SOUTHBEND MUNICIPAL CODE ADDRESSING VACANT BUILDING MAINTENANCE AND REGISTRATION STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND INTENT On November 26, 2007, the South Bend Common Council passed Ordinance No. 9810 -07. That ordinance created city -wide regulations addressing the registration and maintenance of vacant and abandoned buildings. In 2007, the City of South Bend initiated a three -year program costing $6.825 million to reduce the City's vacant houses by more than 115 and to reduce abandoned housed by 72 %. On February 27, 2013, the "Vacant & Abandoned Properties Task Force Report" was released with Mayor Buttigieg called for 1,000 houses to be addressed in 1,000 days. A combination of rehabilitation and demolition activities has been ongoing. As of the introduction of this ordinance which would raise the annual registration fee, 606 properties have been addressed. The ongoing costs to the city for these programs are continuing to increase. Therefore the following fee adjustments are proposed, which are believed to be in the best interests of the City of South Bend, Indiana. Section I. Section 6 -37.1 (h) of the South Bend Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows: (h) Registration Fees. (1) The owner of any building required to be registered under this section shall pay an annual registration fee to the Department of Code Enforcement upon registration. However, the owner of a building that is vacant but not abandoned within the meaning of this section, who voluntarily registers the building pursuant to Subsection (d)(3), is not required to pay a registration fee. (2) If the building is used for or zoned for residential purposes and contains not more than three (3) residential units the registration fee shall be fia•• -'e'�0) two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) per year.