City Continues Efforts To Fight Blight

Washington City Council met on Thursday and heard several proposals to aid in its fight against blight. City Administrator Donn Henderson is proposing several changes to existing ordinances and is putting the final touch on a new one. Currently landlords are to register tenants each year and there is no fee for that registration. An update would levy a $10 fee per unit to cover the costs of administration of the ordinance that is currently a $10,000 strain on city finances. Secondly, a new vacant property fee that is now a $200 one time fee would be changed to a $375 two year registration. If the property remains unoccupied beyond that, the fee will increase to $700 per year. Henderson states that it is to make sure property purchasers do not just sit on vacant property. He says many times vacant properties are the sites for vandalism and other crime. Finally, consideration is being given to adopting a “quality of life” ordinance that would expedite the process of bringing property owners into compliance with city codes. Violators would be given a ticket and a time frame to correct the problem. If not corrected in the appropriate time, the city would send the case to a magistrate. Mayor Scott Putnam promoted the city’s Small Business Saturday on November 26. The event that began in 2016 with two businesses participating has grown to 26 this year. Events begin with a Breakfast Crawl at 9:30. Pop up markets and an indoor farmers market are on tap also. Budget work continues and Putnam says staff and council are working hard to deliver a balanced budget with no tax hike for 2023.