Proposed law moves closer to passage

Council hears second reading on measure that includes fee payments

Council heard a second reading on the proposed ordinance at its special meeting on Aug. 23.

Perry Village Council is one step closer to enacting legislation that would require owners of vacant houses and commercial buildings to register those properties and pay a yearly fee.

Council heard a second reading on the proposed ordinance at its special meeting on Aug. 23.

The proposal being reviewed by council is modeled after a vacant property/building registration ordinance in the city of Wickliffe that Perry Village Mayor James Gessic found while doing research online.

“I think that might help

Wickliffe’s law states that a vacant house or building must be registered no later than 90 days after becoming unoccupied; or within 30 days of the owner being notified by the city Building Department based on evidence of vacancy — depending on which event occurs first.

us get rid of some of the housing that’s been sitting here vacant for years unoccupied and no one seems to be doing anything with,” Gessic said.

Wickliffe’s law states that a vacant house or building must be registered no later than 90 days after becoming unoccupied; or within 30 days of the owner being notified by the city Building Department based on evidence of vacancy — depending on which event occurs first.

The registration form in Wickliffe, in addition to listing contact information for the building owner, also requires that person to submit a vacant building plan. Three choices are offered to the owner: to demolish the structure, rehabilitate it or keep it secured.

Further instructions are then given to the owner to pursue the chosen option.

In the city of Wickliffe, the owner of a vacant residential building must pay a fee of $200 for the first year that structure remains vacant. For every consecutive year of vacancy, the fee doubles up to a maximum of $3,200 for the fifth and all subsequent, consecutive years of vacancy.

When it comes to commercial buildings, the first-year fee vacancy fee is $400, which doubles up to a maximum of $6,400 for the fifth and all subsequent, consecutive years of vacancy.

Gessic said on Aug. 25 that he and council have discussed tweaking the registration fees to make them more impactful. But nothing final has been decided.

It’s anticipated that council will approve the vacant property/registration ordinance at its next regular meeting at 7 p.m., Sept. 13.