Oregon adopting stronger maintenance codes

Oregon City Council has approved an ordinance that would allow the city to adopt stricter property maintenance codes to help address complaints about neglected properties.
City Administrator Joel Mazur stated during council’s May 20 committee of the whole meeting that the administration has identified and targeted certain neglected properties that would be good candidates for updated property maintenance codes.
Mazur states that violations will be written for those identified properties and that the city will seek guidance from a land bank to verify if any expedited acquisition is available through the bank. The city may also consider demolition grant funding for some of these properties.
The administration may have to go back to city council with a revised memorandum of understanding to address the properties of concern.
Mazur said the city is also in talks with the Freeway Plaza property owners. He said the property owners will either consider demolition or even sale of the property. The owners have demolition quotes and the administration will have a meeting with them to discuss the future of the property.