~by Denise O’Brien Van
Years of allowing housing stock to deteriorate had costly consequences for Jefferson.
Those costs include not only paying over $1 million, using federal funds, to demolish derelict or unsafe structures but other costs as well. How can citizens be proud of their city if neighborhoods are dotted with beatup houses, some empty while others are occupied but look as if they shouldn’t be?
The city soon will have a new ordinance that strengthens city officials’ ability to deal with substandard housing and assure that remodeling and new construction meet high standards for health and safety.
“It gives the city the authority to say ‘fix it,’” said city administrator Mike Palmer.
The city council voted unanimously at its March 11 meeting to adopt the new rules at the first reading of the ordinance. Two more council votes must take place before the new regs go into effect.
A copy of the new ordinance, which is actually the International Property Maintenance Code produced in 2012 by the International Code Council, is available at city hall.
Co-chair of the council’s housing committee Lisa Jaskey said she believes Jefferson is the only city of its size in Iowa to adopt the code.
The current city code contained no ordinances on how to deal with the “worst health and safety issues,” said Jaskey.
With the new ordinance in place, the city will “start with the worst of the worst” of the remaining decrepit structures, which probably means several more demolitions.
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A silver lining
The “deconstruction” of more than 80 structures, mostly really crummy houses, means there is a large inventory of buildable infill lots in Jefferson. With infrastructure in place–and often mature trees ready to provide a new house with shade and and its many benefits–there’s “great opportunity for new construction,” said city councilwoman Lisa Jaskey. The city can partner with developers by offering incentives, she said, “which results in a return on our investment and additional tax revenue.”
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The new rules cover minimum requirements for health and safety for all existing residential and commercial structures, plus the responsibilities of owners, operators and occupants. It also outlines administration of the new code and its enforcement, including penalties for noncompliance.
Jaskey said adoption of the ordinance has been a major focus of the housing committee for some time. “It will help us continue our neighborhood stabilization program, which has been very successful,” she said. “Availability of good housing is also an economic development issue.”
She emphasized that the new rules are not a “rental code,” which some landlords feared. It does, however, address health and safety issues for all dwelling units, whether they are occupied by owners or renters.
Former city housing official Mike Wright said the new code is “really about property protection so we can avoid tear downs.” More than 80 decrepit and unsafe structures have been demolished in the city in the past eight years.
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City will hire new building official
Mike Wright recently resigned from the position of city building and zoning official. City administrator Mike Palmer said at the March 11 council meeting that 14 applications for the position had been received, and that four of the applicants would be interviewed. Palmer said he hoped to announce who will fill the job at the March 25 council meeting.
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Areas covered by the new regs include a structure’s exterior and the interior.
Exteriors, including yards, must be clean and hazard free. That includes sidewalks and driveways, garages and fences, and that means no rubbish, no garbage, no high weeds, no rodent infestations, no inoperable or unlicensed motor vehicles and no diassembled motor vehicles.
The code also addresses light and ventilation, occupancy limits and requirements for plumbing, mechanicals, electrical and fire safety.
It spells out unsafe conditions that can result in unhealthy and unsafe conditions. The list includes deteriorating roofs, wobbly handrails, unsound chimneys, broken windows, crumbling foundations and unprotected surfaces caused by broken siding and cracked masonry.
Even peeling, flaking and chipped paint on the exteriors, which can lead to structural, as well as interior damage.
Enforcement of the ordinance will be complaint driven, said Jaskey. A complaint about a structure that looks to be in bad shape can be signed by anyone, including the building official.
“A complaint initiates a visit from the housing official,” she explained. “The city will give property owners time to fix what needs fixing, and grants and low-cost loans to help fund repairs are available.”
Property owners who don’t take care of problems in timely fashion could eventually be cited and fined.
In some cases, noncompliance results in liens against the property. Examples of this would be accumulation of junk or a lawn grown up in tall grass and weeds. If the property owner doesn’t get the rubbish hauled away or the lawn mowed, the city crew will do the hauling or the mowing and then place a lien on the property to recover its costs.
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A lien is a notice attached to a property deed (title) by a creditor (in this case, the city) that claims you owe it money. A lien is a public record. Liens on real estate allow creditors to collect what they are owed. Properties can’t be sold or refinanced if they have liens. To clear the title, liens must be paid.
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And speaking of selling , there’s a dearth of available single-family housing, says Palmer. “There are only about 25 houses for sale right now,” he said. “There’s a big hole in the market for houses going for $140,000 to $170,000.”
Jaskey added that homeowners looking to sell should get their houses in order soon because ongoing economic development will drive an increasing population in the next few years.
~O’Brien Van’s earlier story about cleaning up derelict structures can be found by clicking on the Older Stories/Archive button at the bottom of the page.
