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EAST LIVERPOOL -- After passing three crucial ordinances with an all-in-favor vote Monday, the City of East Liverpool now has a plan to tackle the issues of abandoned and unkept commercial and residential buildings.
With a building ordinance that hasn't been updated in approximately 50 years, unsightly, unlivable/unusable and abandoned buildings have been a longtime problem for the city. Now, with the passing of ordinances to enact Title Six Commercial Building Maintenance Code, Title Seven Abandoned Commercial Buildings and to amend The Heading of Chapter 1339 Board of Housing Appeals and enact the Board of Commercial Building Appeals, the city is ready to take the task of holding property owners accountable and make them responsible for cleaning up their properties.
The Title Six Commercial Building Code establishes the minimum standards covering the exterior maintenance and appearance of all commercial and non-residential buildings. It will require property owners to maintain the properties to a condition where they do not constitute a blighting or deteriorating influence on the neighborhoods and community. It also gives the city the right for inspections of properties and apply penalties for any violations of this commercial building code.
Property owners will be expected to keep the exterior of the buildings/properties free all nuisances, safety hazards and unsanitary conditions.
The Title Seven Abandoned Buildings ordinance applies to a commercial building that has failed to be used for at least three consecutive months during a nine-month period.
The office of city planning or the city health department will be authorized to conduct surveys of abandoned commercial buildings to determine their condition.
A code enforcer will conduct periodic inspections of commercial buildings, initiate an investigation of complaints of alleged building violations, order in writing the remedying of all conditions found and order the vacation of any building found uninhabitable. The code enforcer can also request the law director to take legal action.
In some instances where violations pose an immediate hazard or danger to health, safety or welfare of building occupants or the public, the code enforcer may issue a citation and, if necessary, order the removal or abatement of the hazard.
Owners of abandoned buildings are required to post in a visible place on the building their name, address, phone number and email address.
Those in violation of the commercial building code or the abandoned commercial building code can be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor and if found guilty face a fine of $1,000 or imprisoned not more than six months or both. Each day the violation continues will constitute a separate offense.
The Board of Commercial Appeals ordinance grants the city the authority to create an appeals board consisting of five members who are authorized to conduct hearings.
Members are appointed by the mayor with approval from city council for overlapping terms of three years.
In other business, council approved an ordinance authorizing the city to enter in an agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) for the superstructure replacement of the bridge carrying Ninth Street over U.S. Route 30 and state Route 11 and construct a maintenance access road.
Council also passed additional ordinances to create a new fund and make appropriations for the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) First Responder Grant, authorizing the service-safety director to enter into a contract with KORDA/Nemeth Engineering for grant writing services for a multi-modal project discretionary grant and authorizing the Board of Control to advertise for bids and enter into agreement with the lowest bidder for the East Liverpool Residential Demolition Project.
Resolutions were passed authorizing the mayor to file an application with Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Clean Ohio Trails Fund program and to send a letter urging the legislative branches of the federal government along with the State of Ohio to enact legislation to further protect the citizen of East Liverpool from the inherent dangers of train derailment on the tracks located in and near the city.
In his report, Mayor Gregory Bricker expressed his excitement over the three building ordinances passed and also noted that with this next and last round of abandoned houses demolition there will be approximately 112 blighted or abandoned houses in the city removed.
Fire Chief Brian Jones said that the East Liverpool Fire Department will assume all ambulance responsibilities starting April 5 at 7:45 a.m.
The Finance Committee and the Public Utilities Committee will hold a joint meeting in Council Chambers located on the third floor in City Hall on April 11 at 5 p.m. The purpose for this meeting will be to discuss water rates and provide an update on the Water Department and what they have done. Residents are encouraged to attend this meeting.
The Finance Committee will also meet on April 25 at 3 p.m.
Streets/Land and Buildings Committee will meet April 11 at 6 p.m.
East Liverpool City Council meets the first Monday of each month in Council Chambers at City Hall. The next scheduled meeting is May 1.