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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/27/2007• B A K E R S F I E L D Sue Benham, Chair Rhon a Smiley, Assi nt to the City Manager / P.I.O. David Couch For: Alan Tandy, City Manager Jacquie Sullivan AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT Special Meeting of the LEGISLATIVE AND LITIGATION COMMITTEE MEETING Tuesday, November 27, 2007 - 1:00 p.m. City Manager's Conference Room -Suite 201 City Hall, 1501 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA The meeting was called to order at 2:05:24 PM. ROLL CALL Present: Councilmember Sue Benham; Chair Councilmember David Couch Councilmember Jacquie Sullivan Staff present: Alan Tandy, City Manager John W. Stinson, Assistant City Manager Ginny Gennaro, City Attorney Jefferson Billingsly, Associate Attorney Michael Richards, Associate Attorney Phil Burns, Building Director Steven Teglia, Administrative Analyst III Stan Grady, Development Services Director Others present: Nita Milligan Spring Bunting, Realtor Vanessa Gregory, Bakersfield Californian Judy Szakal, Watson Touchstone Lynnette Madden, Watson Touchstone John Ross, Jeanne's Trash-Out Service Robert Price Richard Bellah, Bellah's Home Staging Inc. John Dabkorn, KBAK TV Melissa Knievel, KGET - 17 News AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT LEGISLATIVE AND LITIGATION COMMITTEE MEETING Tuesday, November 27, 2007 2. ADOPT OCTOBER 23, 2007 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT Adopted as submitted. 3. PUBLIC STATEMENTS None 4. DEFERRED BUSINESS None 5. NEW BUSINESS A. Code Enforcement Issues Regarding Foreclosure Homes (re: City of Manteca proposed ordinance) -Stan Grady/tinny Gennaro Building Director Phil Burns conducted aslide/video presentation, which described our current issue of vacant structures and properties. These structures present blight and detriment to the surrounding neighborhoods and vary dramatically with levels of maintenance. A "Vacant Building Ordinance" regarding measures and penalties for vacant structures is being considered for the city of Bakersfield. Staff conducted a study of various cities which contain this type of ordinance. The cities included in this study are: Manteca, Palm Springs, Fresno, Sacramento, CA and Evanston, IL. Phil Burns also described the City's current process for vacant properties. If the City incurs an expense during the clean-up or abatement process of a vacant property, the expense gets accessed back from the property owner's tax roll. It may take many years for the City to get the money back. Staff is seeking the Committee's direction on how to proceed with the consideration of an ordinance, maintenance standards, penalties, and level of monitoring. City Attorney Gennaro recommends that the Committee and the City Council identify what they are looking for before implementing this type of ordinance. The City's current ordinances have worked well, and if they are changed to develop some maintenance standards, much discussion will be needed regarding the practicality and the enforcement issue. Committee member Sullivan suggested that the City look into a practical ordinance which will enforce the property owners/lenders to maintain foreclosed properties. This would help maintain the integrity and morale of the neighborhood. AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT LEGISLATIVE AND LITIGATION COMMITTEE MEETING Tuesday, November 27, 2007 Richard Bellah (Bellah's Interiors) suggested that the Homeowner's Associations be contacted to help with the upkeep of vacant properties in their developments. He stated that the Rio Bravo Homeowner's Association is currently taking care of vacant properties in their area. ynette Madden (Watson/Touchstone Real Estate) explained the difficulty of selling homes that are in distressed situations. Some property owners will stay living in the home without paying their mortgage and wait until they are given a notice to vacate the property. She stated that the homeowner needs to contact the lender and inform them that the house is vacant, and the lender has a requirement to maintain the property. They will take care of the property because it is in their best interest to do so. She suggested that there be an ordinance which will include an insurance clause that should be paid by the current owner/lender. Nita Milligan (Great American Marketing) stated that this is a major issue and being able to find out who the owner/lender is on some properties can be very difficult. Committee Chair Benham requested that staff research the effective dates of the ordinances in the various cities and see what the City can learn from their experiences. Development Services Director Grady stated that this information will be obtained. Committee Chair Benham suggested that Development Services Director Grady meet with Lynette Madden and discuss the issues that she has presented to the committee. A 2008 Committee Calendar will be adopted at the next scheduled meeting on Tuesday, January 15, 2008. 6. CLOSED SESSION None 7. COMMITTEE COMMENTS None 8. ADJOURNMENT 3:04:36 PM cc: Honorable Mayor and City Council APPROVED JANUARY 15. 2008