Blight Enforcement

BLIGHT. BLIGHT. DID WE ALREADY SAY BLIGHT?

We hear you loud and clear Adrian residents. We also recognize that blight looks different through each set of eyes. The dictionary definition is simply the state or result of being blighted or deteriorated; dilapidation; decay (urban blight).

Enforcing blight ordinances on private home owners can be a challenge. Not because the homeowners do not want to cooperate, but because in many circumstances, correcting a code violation can create a financial strain on the resident. For example, though not always the case, a homeowner may be physically unable to scrape and paint their own home due to age, health issues, or financial constraints. In these situations, the code enforcement division does their best to work with the resident and find a plausible solution to correcting the violation. Through the collaboration of the city blight committee and local non-profits, indigent or otherwise qualified homeowners may be offered the opportunity to pair with local agencies and seek financial assistance to correct blight violations.

Commercial blight is a different story. Commercial property and business owners are held to a higher standard with regard to properly maintaining their property. Decaying buildings, leaky roofs, and dangerous public places are unacceptable. The City diligently enforces our code and takes swift action on commercial property owners who fail to comply. This is a difficult balancing act, as the goal is to keep the public safe while supporting and encouraging local businesses to provide much needed products and services to the community. 

Air pollution is the third form of blight. With the industrial structure rapidly changing in Adrian, the City has developed an Odor Advisory Panel to participate in the development of an air pollution ordinance and odor control plan template. The panel consists of a broad range of representatives from local residents to neighboring communities and industrial leaders.

As a municipality, we are working hard to find a fair and balanced enforcement process to create a city that each resident can be proud to call home, but the solution is certainly not single fold. We continue to work together with both the community and city staff to address this issue and we are always open to suggestions.