HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – The Havre City Council’s Ordinance Committee convened on Monday evening to continue discussions on how to deal with abandoned and boarded up structures.
The Committee voted to move forward with plans to create an ordinance to penalize owners of these types of buildings.
The draft ordinance defines an abandoned structure as “a structure that has remained unoccupied and one or more utilities, including but not limited to gas, electricity, and water, have been disconnected for a period of at least 365 days.”
It adds that “window or door openings on an abandoned structure may be boarded up for no more than 180 days.” Boards must be replaced with “properly installed, tight-fitting, and secure windows and doors.”
Owners of abandoned properties found to be in violation of the ordinance will have 60 days to rectify the issue. If the problems are not fixed, they will be served with a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500 for every day the violation continues.
Discretion on when to issue the misdemeanor penalty is up to the code enforcement officer, which will be the Public Works Department. Public Works Director Dave Peterson says he is willing to be flexible with property owners as long as they are actively working on fixing the issue.
The Committee says this is intended to improve health, safety and welfare in Havre, as abandoned structures can be dangerous and impact neighborhood property values.
A public meeting on the draft ordinance is scheduled for 7 PM at City Hall on September 20th.
Ordinances must be approved by the full City Council twice before they are enacted, and the Council is hoping that the Ordinance can be finalized by the end of the calendar year.
The ordinance would go into effect 30 days after final approval.
