Roanoke Rapids Planning and Development Director Amanda Jarratt presented council the amendment at its work session this afternoon.
The amendment would allow the city to remedy violations through a lien on the property which would be collected as unpaid taxes.
The amendment describes a habitual violator as one who owns property where in the previous year the city took remedial action at least three times under the nuisance ordinance.
City Manager Paul Sabiston credited last year’s Opportunity Clean Sweep as a starting point which has allowed the city to enforce the code. “We’ve been following up since it ended,” he said. “We haven’t stopped.”
Pubic Works Director Richard Parnell said one of the ways the amendment will help is through the tall grass the department must cut. “Ninety-nine percent of this is out of town property owners ... This will help speed up the process.”
Said council member Suetta Scarbrough: “I think this is a good ordinance.”
In another matter this afternoon, council heard a proposal from CSX to close two rail crossings — one at Fourth Street and the other at Eleventh Street.
Closing the crossings would mean the city would receive $15,000 from CSX and have the railroad crossing at KapStone upgraded, a $100,000 project which the city would not have to pay for.
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