By PATRICK ADRIAN
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ROCKINGHAM, Vt. — This week the Rockingham Planning Commission members presented a newly drafted nuisance ordinance that will facilitate the town’s response to blighted, unsafe properties and buildings
Planning Commission chair Bonnie North and member Myles Mickle discussed the proposed ordinance at the Rockingham Selectboard meeting on Tuesday, and plan to deliver their presentation to the Bellows Falls trustees on Tuesday. The commission already met with Saxtons River trustees.
The ordinance’s intent is to address most severe cases of property neglect and landlord irresponsibility, Town Manager Wendy Harrison said. Although one type of nuisance ordinance addresses aethetics, this one is not about beautification but public health, safety and wellbeing.
“A property’s aesthetics cannot be the sole reason to constitute an ordinance violation,” Harrison said yesterday during phone interview. “There has to be other factors other than just being displeasing.”
The ordinance defines a nuisance property as one whose state of decay or disrepair jeopardizes public health and safety; contribute to decrease in surrounding property value; or undermines the aesthetic value of the town, neighborhood or surrounding environment.
The draft contains specific examples of violations for both property and structure. Property violations include “unsightly or unhealthy trash, litter or discarded appliances and furniture; multiple unregistered vehicles; unmaintained swimming pool water or pools that are not access restricted; and in Saxtons River and Bellows Falls, operating a yard sale for more than three consecutive days.
Violations for structural blight include missing or broken windows or doors, pest infestations, excessive paint peeling or wall damage or unrepaired fire or water damage. The draft also outlines violation descriptions for unsafe, structurally unsound buildings; vacant structures and properties; and untended grass and weeds.
Mickle explained that each code must be written clearly and with specificity to facilitate timely response and enforceability.
Harrison said that “safety officers,” not police officers, would handle call responses and enforcement. Safety officers include members of the fire, health, planning and zoning departments.
The ordinance outlines fees and fines on owners in violation, though the commission also wants to create a fund to help owners with fixed incomes afford the repairs.
“There are a number of grants we can apply for if we have an ordinance of this nature,” said North. “With these grants we can set up a fund much like an economic development fund for people legitimately in need of assistance.”
While there are already some existing organizations, like the Windham and Windsor Housing Trust, who help property owners with limited income acquire affordable services for home repairs, the commission wants to create its own network of pro bono contractors or volunteers for assisting local property owners.
Harrison said that the goal is for compliance, so they want to help people who want to comply but need assistance to do that. Yet the town also aims to hold accountable those who have the means to maintain their properties, rather than put that expense on the taxpayers after years of neglect or abandonment.
North said that Rockingham taxpayers have undertaken $155,000 in costs over the last four years to clean up condemned properties.
The commission began work on this ordinance in August after listening to numerous complaints from residents about properties that were negatively impacting their neighborhoods. Harrison said that these current presentations are just an introduction for the boards. The commission intends to hold public forums to educate and listen to input before the village and town boards do a first reading of the draft in the fall.
Harrison said that she hopes to bring public attention to this ordinance so residents can understand its content and purpose, as well as current and coming opportunities to attend educational presentations and discussions.
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