Hills City Council addresses resident letter about blight

The city of Hills received an anonymous letter singling out various blighted properties in the city.
The city, however, can’t act on the letter’s request because the letter was unsigned.
“You can’t go the sheriff with a complaint, if nobody signs it,” said Mayor Keith Elbers.
The letter listed 17 residences by address, which they considered a nuisance, and the city’s responsibility to enforce its own nuisance ordinance.
The letter dated May 8 asked: “Doesn’t the town have an ordnance (sic) against this saying the town would clean them up and fine property owners taxes?”
The council discussed the letter’s contents at their May 9 meeting.
They agreed many of the listed addresses violated the city’s public nuisance ordinance. Some did not.
The three-page nuisance ordinance adopted in 2013 provides a detailed list of what is considered a public nuisance.
Among the nuisances are:
•abandoned and junk vehicles.
•accumulation of manure, refuse and other debris.
•storage of discarded materials, which are no longer used for purposes for which they was manufactured.
Annually, city officials tour the city and notice properties in violation of the ordinance. Letters are sent to those residences explaining the violation and request mitigation.
Ordinance violations are a misdemeanor.
The city’s letter reminds residents they face a $500 fine per violation if blight is not removed from the location. The penalty doubles for a repeat violation occurring within 12 months at the same location.
However, enforcement of the blight ordinance starts with a signed complaint from a resident.
Until a complaint is received, city officials will continue to educate residents about the nuisance ordinance.
Council member Stacen Burgers said the annual letters should “coach” residents on what is expected in the city of Hills.
“If people understood the value of just talking with their neighbors, it can go a whole lot further than what we can do,” he said.
“If you can’t get a neighbor to cooperative, you simply have to fill out the complaint. But you have to put your name on it for us to be able to do anything about it.”