ITEM TITLE:
Title
Consider approving an Ordinance pertaining to Nuisances and Health, by amending Sections 15-2-201, 15-2-202, 15-2-204, 15-2-205, 15-2-206 and 15-2-208, Article 15-2, Chapter 15, Lawton City Code 2015, by clarifying language for rental company registration, increasing the citations fees, adding that the rental company registration expires annually on June 30th, adding language to issue citations weekly for violations prior to any abatement, changing notice to notice of violation, changing administrative order to abatement notice, adding language for property owner or person otherwise in possession or control of any lot, tract or parcel of land situated wholly or in part with the corporate limits of the city, changing the time frame from 6 months to 1 year that any subsequent violations occur without having to re-notice, changing the appeal of the abatement notice from City Council to a hearing officer, adding language that an appeal of the hearing officer shall go to City Council, clarifying the section of code that abatement costs can be appealed, adding language that the property owner or person otherwise in possession of the property shall have 30 days to pay the cost notice before the monetary lien is filed with the county, adding language stating that subsequent violations of refuse at the curb or public right-of-way shall be issued citations and the citations may be written daily, changing other forms of abatement to other forms of enforcement and adding language that the utility bill will be charged for abatements, providing for severability, and declaring an emergency.
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INITIATOR: Charlotte Brown, Community Services Director
STAFF INFORMATION SOURCE: Charlotte Brown, Community Services Director
BACKGROUND: During a recent review of Article 15-2, staff determined that some changes needed to occur to better allow our Code Enforcement Officers to issue citations for those properties that are multiple violators. Citations will be issued prior to abatement occurring in an effort to attempt to get the property owners or persons otherwise in control of the property to abate the nuisance instead of the city. This ordinance will also change the names of the notices that are sent so citizens will not automatically think they have a citation, it is just a notice that abatement needs to occur on the property. Staff also found a portion of the state statute that states that the person who receives the statement of cost has 30 days before the certified monetary lien is placed on the property. This has not been practice so we are adding the same language from the state statute to this ordinance.
EXHIBIT: Ordinance No. 24-____
Ordinance No. 24-____ CLEAN
KEY ISSUES: Does Council wish to declare this ordinance an emergency.
FUNDING SOURCE: n/a
STAFF RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION: Approve Ordinance No. 24-____, waive the reading of the ordinance, read the title only and declare an emergency.