Huntington officials are looking at several initiatives that would give them more tools to deal with dilapidated housing. Some of the initiatives would require changes in state law, while others only need approval from City Council. Here's a look at those initiatives and where they stand:
LAND BANK: The city is working on a proposal to create a land bank modeled after one in Flint, Mich.
A land bank would allow the city to take possession of vacant, abandoned properties after the owner fails to pay the taxes on them. The city would sell the land it acquired to housing developers, partner with housing programs such as Habitat for Humanity, turn it into small community parks or give it to adjacent property owners.
STATUS: The proposal will be part of the city's Home Rule Pilot Program application that it will submit to the state later this year. City officials also will ask members of Cabell County's delegation to sponsor land bank legislation during the 2008 legislative session, which begins in January.
BOARD-UP PROGRAM: This summer, City Council adopted a "board-up" program that requires people to secure their vacant property. If the owner doesn't do it within 30 days of receiving a notice, the Huntington Fire Department will do it for them and bill them. The program slows the deterioration of property and prevents people from getting inside and catching it on fire, Fire Marshal David Bias said.
STATUS: The Huntington Fire Department boarded up the first home about two weeks ago.
FIRE INSURANCE CLAIMS: City officials are working on a proposal to withhold insurance money from a property owner if they don't repair or demolish their property after they receive a fire damage claim check.
Under the proposal, a portion of the claim check would be placed in an escrow account. If the owner tears down a fire-damaged property within a certain amount of time, the money in the escrow account would be returned to the owner. But if the owner walks away, the city would use the money in the account to pay for demolition.
The proposal is modeled after a state law in Ohio. The law requires insurance companies to withhold $2,000 for every $15,000 of insurance payout when a damage claim exceeds 60 percent of the value of the insurance policy.
STATUS: The proposal will be part of the city's Home Rule Pilot Program application that it will submit to the state later this year.
LIENS: Placing liens on property is one of the few tools the city has to recoup demolition costs. But liens put little pressure on the property owner to do anything with the property, officials say.
Charles Holley, director of development and planning, said state law allows cities to file civil actions against property owners as a way to recover costs. The advantage of a civil action over a lien is that a civil action covers all property owned by the person being sued, whereas a lien only covers one specific piece of property, city attorney Scott McClure said.
Status: Holley said the city will start filing lawsuits against property owners immediately.
VACANT PROPERTY REGISTRATION: Councilman Jim Insco has proposed an ordinance modeled after a law in Wilmington, Del., that would require owners of vacant property to register their property with the city if it has been vacant for more than 45 days. If the property sits vacant for more than one year, the owner has to pay a $500 fee. The fee increases substantially every additional year that no action is taken.
The revenue generated from the fee would be placed in an account separate from the city's general fund and used exclusively for property maintenance and rehabilitation. Insco said that could mean tearing down dilapidated properties or hiring more compliance and housing inspectors.
Status: The ordinance is scheduled for a second reading during City Council's Oct. 22 meeting.
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