§ 110-15.7 — Vandalism; Vacant Buildings

110-15.7. Vandalism; Vacant Buildings.

1. FINDINGS. The common council finds that a significant relationship exists between the vandalizing of vacant buildings and increased calls for police services, higher incidence of fires, both accidental and intentional, and decline and disinvestment in neighborhoods. Vandalized vacant buildings become havens for vandalism, arson and drug crimes, representing not only a drain of valuable governmental resources, but also creating a significant reduction of the quality of life for the surrounding neighborhood. The common council further finds that vandalized vacant buildings are rarely repaired and become a neighborhood blight, eventually requiring demolition of buildings. These abandoned buildings place an undue and inappropriate burden on the taxpayers of the city and pose an increased risk to public safety. This section is intended to reduce and prevent neighborhood blight, to ameliorate conditions that threaten the health, safety and welfare of the public, to promote neighborhood stability and residential owner occupancy by preserving the condition and appearance of residential properties, and to maintain residential property values and assessments. 2. PROHIBITED CONDUCT. No person may vandalize or remove materials from a vacant building without the express permission of the owner or operator of the property or by order of the department of neighborhood services relating to razing of the building. 3. PENALTIES. a. Any person convicted of violating this section and causing more than $500 damage to a vacant building shall forfeit not less than $1,000 nor more than $5,000 per violation, and in default of payment thereof may be imprisoned in an appropriate county facility as allowed by law.