Palmetto council members earlier this month heard the first reading of two amendments to city nuisance ordinances. The change removes the requirement to issue a 30-day warning for violations at single-family residences, providing instead for potential of the immediate issuance of a citation by city code enforcement if conditions warrant. The initial vote on the measure was 5-1.

Ordinance No. 2006-01 would remove the 30-day requirement for a written notice of a violation.

“The amendment would remove the city requirement to give a 30-day written notice and enter into an agreement with the property owner,” said Mayor Clark Boddie.

Failure to remediate the problem within an appropriate time could result in the resident being cited and required to go to city court, Boddie said, adding that if remediated prior to the court date the resident might furnish proof of the work for consideration by the city court judge.

Ordinance No. 2006-02 spelled out the object of possible citations. “It shall be unlawful for the owner or occupant of a residential building, structure or property to utilize the premises of such residential property for the open storage of any abandoned, dismantled, wrecked, junked and/or inoperative icebox, refrigerator, stove or more than one motor vehicle, other appliance, machinery and/or equipment, or the open storage of glass, building material, building rubbish or similar items.” Paragraph 2 of the ordinance allows for the open storage of no more than one such vehicle but, “only so long as said motor vehicle persists in the abandoned, dismantled, wrecked, junked and/or inoperative condition only during such time as some person is working to cure the abandoned, dismantled, wrecked, junked and/or inoperative condition of said motor vehicle.”

Council member Jeff Yasson, the only council member to cast a dissenting vote, said after the meeting he had two objections to the proposal. He believed nuisance ordinances should be applied equally, to businesses as well as residences. He also believed removing the required 30-day written notice provision is inappropriate.

“I was in favor of the ordinance as it was written before. It was fair for the citizens,” Yasson said. “Now the city can come on your property and write a citation before issuing even a verbal warning.”

The second reading and final vote on the measure will be taken at the April council meeting.

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