Latest Draft August 2ndUpdate Derelict and Abandoned Property Ordinance Available for review
As most of the community is aware the city has been addressing “Code Enforcement” violations for over the last ten years. The challenge that all communities face over time is “how to ensure compliance in a fair and equitable way?” the success of our current program is only as good as the tools you must ensure compliance.
During the recent budget development process many in the community expressed the need for the city to expand compliance for those properties in the city that were abandoned and or dilapidated. The City Council addressed the issue for additional means to gain compliance from your city attorney, allowing for consideration of a specific ordinance that would allow for the means under state law to address the issue of compliance. Based upon the direction of the council and the city attorney the budget was adopted so to enhance compliance of the current ordinances for nuisance and code violations ensuring a method designed with the enhanced resources and specific process to remove or correct some of the neglected properties in Lula. In this process the city attorney has brought forward the “Derelict Property Ordinance” for consideration, giving the community a much-needed means to process neglected properties in a structured manor under the approval and direction of state law and the municipal court judge.
There’s been a lot of misinformation regarding the proposed ordinance, first the community needs to know NO ONE is taking away any rights of a property owner, just the opposite is true when you consider the ordinance assures the property owner a process for resolution, further No One from the city is going to enter a house or home without the consent of the owner or the occupant unless a judge has issued a warrant to inspect the interior of the property with just cause through the court process as allowed by state law and if required it would be by the “POST Certified City Marshall” who handles Code Enforcement.
This type of ordinance being considered has been found to be successful in many surrounding cities assuring that the communities (Buford, Braselton )have a method to resolve issues of compliance and property values are protected from the effects of dilapidated properties.
We would encourage the community to come by city hall and pick up a copy of the latest draft (July 22) and see for yourself how the city is addressing your expectations.
The city council is still evaluating the ordinance and will give this matter further consideration in August.
