City Council passes three new ordinances designed to control blight to first printing

By Owen Boss

GARDNER — The City Council passed a motion Monday that would put three new ordinances the Public Safety Committee proposed through to the first of two required printings, which would give area government a new enforcement arm to control the level of care property owners give to old or abandoned buildings across the city by making them financially responsible for blight. Mayor Mark Hawke said that he was happy with the way the ordinances came out, and attributed it to the hard work of the committee. “The public safety committee had a very long meeting regarding these ordinances, and they discussed them all individually in depth,” said Mr. Hawke. “This is something that will benefit the community, and we really got the ball rolling with this passed motion.” The ordinances are based on laws already in place across the state in cities such as Revere and Worcester, which passed similar legislation that began fining property owners with poorly kept or dilapidated buildings about a year ago. The first ordinance, which deals with nuisances on property, targets property owners whose buildings are dilapidated or unsightly. Under the new ordinance, violators would have 10 days to correct the problem before the city fines them. The second ordinance, aimed to eliminate the numerous vacant or abandoned buildings across the city, would require owners to report to the city when a building will be abandoned. The law would impose guidelines that would make sure that owners would continue to secure and maintain the building or face a daily fine of $300. The third and final ordinance would deal with properties that frequently sound false fire or security alarms. The ordinance states that a business that sounds more than one false alarm in a six-month period would face fines that range from $25 for a second offense to $150 for a seventh. oboss@thegardnernews.com

Appeared on Page 3 on 5/20/2008 (Vol. 206 No. 120)