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Columbus City Council voted Tuesday to pause its code enforcement remediation efforts Tuesday at 155 blighted properties, giving their owners the opportunity to sign on to the city’s federally funded blight elimination program.
If owners don’t agree to sell their property to the city, those lots will be kicked back to code enforcement.
But how does code enforcement differ from the program? And where do property owners stand with that office if they opt out of the federally funded program?
How does code enforcement work in Columbus
Code Enforcement Officer Sasha James said when a property violates city building codes, such as broken windows, shifted foundations or caved-in roofs, the property owner will receive a letter directing them to fix the issue or present a plan to her office.
Depending on the severity of the damage to the structure, owners have 10 to 30 days to provide evidence of repair or obtain a building or demolition permit.
Once a permit is filed, James said code enforcement will return to the property owner once the permit term expires. If the work is incomplete, the office may grant an extension.
“We will work with property owners if we see they are doing something about it,” James said.
If the lot is found uninhabitable, code enforcement will issue another 10 to 30-day notice. If the property owner does not comply, James will request the city council vote to condemn it. The owner will be sent a 10-day notice before the council hearing.
If the council agrees to condemn, the property will be slated for demolition. Any demolition costs and environmental work will be placed on the owner through a tax lien.
If the owner does not pay off the assessed sum in six months, the property is turned over to the tax assessor to be auctioned at an annual tax sale.
How does the federal blight elimination program work?
If owners of qualifying blighted properties want to avoid condemnation, they can agree to sell it to the city through its federally-funded blight elimination program.
The city received $3 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for its blight program and put aside $500,000 from its American Rescue Plan Act allotment.
Interim City Planner George Irby said the program will acquire blighted property, demolish existing structures, and then attempt to market it to redevelopers who will put in affordable housing. Vacant and overgrown lots also qualify, according to the guidelines.
Acquisition costs are limited to the purchase price and related costs — such as legal fees — and a maintenance fee of $1,000 per year for three years will be put in place after demolition. The fee will be paid from program funds to the contractor or entity that does the work.
Irby said property owners can participate in the program by agreeing to sell to the city within 10 days of receiving an interest letter from him. Those lots will go back to code enforcement if anything but a yes is given.
If that happens, James said she will move forward with the condemning process where it left off rather than restarting it.
“We would just have to move forward with the process at that point,” James said. “If they come and communicate with us, we may give them another 30 to 45-day extension.”
How does code enforcement differ in Starkville?
In Starkville, property owners receive a notice to repair or demolish condemnable structures and have 30 days to address the issue with evidence of repair or a building permit. However, if the dilapidated structure poses a significant public risk, the response time is 10 days.
“If the situation is urgent, then the property owner’s response has to be immediate,” Mayor Lynn Spruill said.
Spruill added that if the work is not completed within the permit term, code enforcement will request the property be condemned.
The board of aldermen must publicly advertise a hearing on the issue for at least two weeks and provide notice to the property owner.
If the board finds the property uninhabitable and poses a risk to public health and safety, it may condemn and demolish it.
The cost to demolish the structure and environmental work will be placed on the owner through a debt to the city. If the owner does not pay the debt, a tax lien will be issued, and the city will acquire the property through the Oktibbeha County Circuit Court and sell it to pay off the lien.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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