Vacant building ordinance delayed by cost concerns
Enforcement could exceed $900,000
Albuquerque city councilors held off on a proposal to impose new standards on the upkeep of vacant buildings this week after Mayor Richard Berry’s administration said it might cost more than $900,000 a year to enforce.
Planning Director Suzanne Lubar told the council on Monday that it was unclear how many commercial buildings would fall under the ordinance, which targets properties that have been vacant for at least a year.
But she estimated her department would need at least four more employees and a budget to cover the materials needed to board up properties when an owner refuses to comply. All told, that could reach $930,000 a year, she said.
The planning department, Lubar said, is already having trouble hiring enough inspectors and enforcement officers to handle its other work.
“I’m still very concerned about whether we can enforce this,” she said.
Councilor Trudy Jones also raised the possibility that the city itself might be in violation of the proposal for vacant buildings it owns, such as an old bus-repair station and historic motels awaiting redevelopment.
The council narrowly agreed to schedule the bill for consideration in January. It had been up for a final vote Monday night.
The legislation — co-sponsored by Don Harris and Pat Davis, two councilors who represent long stretches of East Central Avenue — is aimed at addressing neighborhood blight that degrades nearby property values and interferes with economic development.
It would require the owners of vacant nonresidential buildings to register with the city and pay a $200 fee. They would have to remove weeds and trash from the property, secure windows and doors, post signs against trespassing, maintain lighting from dusk until dawn, and fix potholes, among other requirements.
The city would be empowered to levy fines of $500 a day.
The four-page ordinance is modeled on similar regulations in other cities.
Davis said the proposal could be a powerful tool for revitalizing East Central.
Harris said he would work with the city administration on the funding question. He asked for a postponement of the bill until Jan. 4, to which councilors agreed.