Bowling Green City Council on Monday introduced an ordinance that would focus on exterior property maintenance in the city.
The ordinance would create and adopt Chapter 159 of the city’s codified ordinances.
The legislative package document created for council noted that Mayor Mike Aspacher and city council have identified exterior property maintenance as a goal, and that the chapter will be used in coordination with existing codes.
The proposed code states that its purposes “are to protect the public health, safety and welfare of the citizens and inhabitants of the city by preventing property deterioration and by establishing minimum standards governing maintenance, appearance and conditions of all residential and non-residential premises; to fix certain responsibilities and duties for owners and occupants; to authorize and establish procedures for the inspection of residential and non-residential premises and to fix penalties for violations of this code.”
The seven-page code includes 12 sections. In section 159.95, concerning Exterior Appearance of Buildings, it states that “the owner shall keep the exterior of all premises and every structure thereon including, but not limited to, walls, roofs, cornices, chimneys, drains, towers, porches, landings, fire escapes, stairs, store fronts, signs, windows, doors, awnings, and marquees in good repair and all surfaces thereof shall be kept painted or protected with other coating or material where necessary for the proposes of preservation and avoiding a blighting influence on adjoining properties. All surfaces shall be maintained free of broken glass, loose shingles, crumbling stone or brick, peeling paint or other conditions reflective of deterioration or inadequate maintenance, to the end that the property itself may be preserved safely, fire hazards eliminated, and adjoining properties and the neighborhood protected from blighting influences.”
The code also includes sections on Maintenance of Exteriors of Dwelling Structures and Secondary or Appurtenant Structures, Maintenance of Exterior Nonresidential Structures and Secondary or Appurtenant Structures, Freedom from Infestation, and outlines a procedure for violations. It states in part that “where a public nuisance or violation of this code is found to exist, a written notice from the property maintenance officer shall be served upon the person or persons responsible for the correction thereof… The notice shall specify the violation or the violations committed, what must be done to correct the same, and a reasonable period of time (not to exceed forty-five… days) to correct or abate the violation.” Regarding penalties, it states in part that violators of “any provision of this chapter is guilty of a minor misdemeanor… Whoever violates any subsequent offense in this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.”
In additional business, in a meeting held just prior to Monday’s council meeting, Finance Director Dana Pinkert presented council’s finance committee with her quarterly update on city finances.
Among her updates, it was noted that through the third quarter the city had collected just over $19 million in income tax revenues, just shy of $300,000 more than originally estimated, and $717,000 more than collected in 2022. Her presentation noted that from a budget perspective, there are no red flags or concerns at the end of the third quarter of the year. However, she said that one area to watch going into 2024 will be labor market challenges posed by wage increases.
“As we’re looking toward the end of the year, are we going to land about where we planned on landing” at the start of the year, asked finance committee member Mark Hollenbaugh.
“I think so,” said Pinkert, “especially from an income tax standpoint and what we budgeted for revenues.”
She said that through the third quarter, the city is actually below what they originally estimated to spend on some expenditures.
Councilman Joel O’Dorisio was excused from the meeting.
