I'm already hit with the registration for that and I don't know if that is the second time
for 3 more months. At that time I'm not in the City. I'm out of the country and it's out of
my control.
Councilmember Bowie moved to close the public hearing. Approved 7-0.
Bowie: What is within the scope of what we are dealing with here?
Moermond: What you have in front of you is a tax assessment that covers the cost of
having a building in the vacant building program for a year. What we do in the
Legislative Hearing process is try to create an incentive for people to rehab the
building more quickly. We try to put that incentive together so that if you get this done
in ninety days, that's the most common waiver, you would not have a vacant building
fee. It is occasionally extended to six months under exceptional circumstances. It is
not, in my opinion, to be extended beyond that but to rather have the Council make the
decision. This building was in the vacant building program for eight of the twelve
months. My recommendation is a significant reduction to remove 4 months of that bill.
I wouldn't recommend that Council goes more deeply, but you have the authority to do
so.
Bowie: How long can this be paid over?
Moermond: Right now, the resolution says one year. I recommend spreading it out no
more than 5 years.
Bowie: I move to approve the assessment and make it payable over 5 years.
Adopted as amended (assessment ratified and made payable over 5 years)
7 -
0
Yea:
Nay:
Councilmember Noecker, Councilmember Yang, Councilmember Kim,
Councilmember Bowie, Councilmember Jost, Councilmember Johnson and
Councilmember Privratsky
Ratifying the Appealed Special Tax Assessment for property at 120 LYTON
PLACE. (File No. VB2507B, Assessment No. 258827) (Public hearing closed
and laid over from April 9, 2025)
39
Laid over for one week.
Michael O’Neil, attorney o/bo owner, appeared in person.
Marcia Moermond, Legislative Hearing Officer: This is an assessment for a vacant
building fee covering March 2024 through March 2025. You heard the appeal of the
registration fee of the next year's fee on March 19, 2025, and granted a 90-day waiver.
This building was in the vacant building program for the entirety of the year before you
today. I am recommending approval.
Michael O'Neil: I think equity concerns merit waiving the assessment entirely. The
building became vacant due to a fire, and the residents could not afford a
rehabilitation. My client then became owner of the property. The owner had been dead
since 2003, and the property had never been transferred. Because of this, the property
never was actually owned by my client until July. Then, before he could destroy the
fire-damaged property, he had to get permission from the City. That approval was given
in October, but my client never received that. The fire damaged property wasn't
destroyed until February of this year. My client has invested of $17,000 in this and I am
asking that the assessment be waived.