Title
Foreclosed and Vacant Property Registry (B)
This item involves a request for the City Commission to receive an update on the property registry item that was referred to the Audit, Finance and Legislative Committee.
Explanation
The City Commission referred the discussion of the implementation of a foreclosed and vacant property registry to the Audit, Finance and Legislative Committee on January 16, 2014. On March 31, 2014, the Committee received a presentation from staff and directed staff to return to the Committee with additional information. The Committee referred the item back to the City Commission on August 19, 2014, with a recommendation for the City Commission to receive the information provided to the Committee and determine if a property registry should be adopted.
Property registries have been used by local governments to monitor properties and as an enforcement tool. Registries are enacted by the adoption of an ordinance which includes the framework for the registration, registration requirements, and the responsibilities of the registrants. Registration programs follow a similar model statewide. They can be maintained using staff if there is adequate staff available or a contracted service can be used. As part of the review of this issue, staff contacted stakeholders such as: peer jurisdictions, the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Gainesville Alachua County Association of Realtors.
Staff will provide the City Commission with a presentation that includes information on existing tools, data on vacant properties and properties whose owners are in default, peer community and stakeholder feedback, and four property registry options including proposed ordinance requirements. Each option required the registration of properties that meet certain conditions such as bank owned, property owners in default, and vacant and abandoned properties.
The four options provide by staff are:
1. Require the registration of residential properties t...
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