NICKERSON, Kan. — On a split vote, the Nickerson City Council approved a new ordinance during Monday's meeting it hopes will deal with the large amount of vacant housing in the city.
Under the ordinance, property owners with vacant homes or structures will have to work with the city to try to find either new tenants or owners for the vacant parcels. The city says it will waive building permit fees and come up with other incentives to entice owners to make improvements or sell.
The ordinance also requires building owners to pay a registration fee of $50 for a home and $100 for a commercial building. Owners will also have to pay the minimum utility fee each month. If nothing happens to the property in the first year, the registration fee goes up to $250 for a home and $500 for a commercial building.
City Clerk April Beshears says the city currently has more than 40 vacant homes. Just the minimum utility fees will generate about $18,000 per year. Beshears says the city hopes people will respond. Letters to the property owners are going out this week.
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