BREWER, Maine — Residents who throw repeated rowdy parties or host chronically troublesome tenants could soon face fines, but only for refusing to work with city officials to resolve the problems, under an ordinance the Brewer City Council expects to vote on next month.
“We’re just looking for an additional tool to help preserve the right to peaceful enjoyment of properties in our neighborhoods,” said Brewer police Lt. Chris Martin, who proposed that Brewer adopt a disruptive-property ordinance mirroring those of several other Maine communities, including Bangor and Rockland.
Under the ordinance, property owners would receive a warning if police are called to a disturbance complaint. If there is a second disturbance at the property within 60 days, it would be classified as a disruptive property by the police chief. A property also would be classified as disruptive if three events happened within 120 days, four within 180 or five within 360.
Once a property is identified as disruptive, the owner must agree to a code and fire safety inspection and to meet with the police chief to create a plan of action to deter future incidents. Once that agreement is reached and the owner shows a “good-faith effort” to resolve the problems, police no longer would pursue fines under the ordinance, as long as no other disruptive events occurred on the property.
The city would only levy a fine when an owner refused to cooperate, Martin said.
If the owner refuses to meet with the police chief or refuses to take appropriate remediation steps, he or she would face a fine between $500 and $1,000. After 180 days without an incident, the disorderly classification would be lifted, according to the ordinance.
Martin said the ordinance request isn’t about fines or money: More important are the procedures it lays out for starting a conversation with property owners about how to prevent future violations.
“This is something that we would not use frequently, but would be of use when other alternatives don’t work,” Martin said.
The council unanimously voted to post the proposed ordinance for public review at City Hall on Tuesday night, and will hold a final vote on it during the next regular meeting in October.
In other business during Tuesday’s meeting, the council voted to condemn a house at 927-929 North Main St., across from the public boat landing. The home has been vacant for several years, according to Code Enforcement Officer Benjamin Breadmore.
The property has become a “dumping ground” for trash, and the grass has grown to several feet in height. There also are a number of code and safety violations inside, ranging from mold in the basement to caved-in ceilings to shoddy electrical work. Thieves have broken in over the years to steal copper wiring and pipes.
“Overall, this has become a real nuisance for the neighborhood,” Breadmore said.
The city also set a public hearing date to consider whether another building, this one at 227 Wilson St., should be condemned. In late May, firefighters were called to the house to douse a grease fire. For safety reasons, electricity was shut off in the basement. During that process, the city found numerous code violations, including unsafe wiring and a leaking oil tank. More code issues were identified outside, including roof problems, improperly disposed waste and overgrown grass.
The single-family home was deemed uninhabitable, and the residents were forced to relocate.
It’s likely the city would demolish both buildings.
Follow Nick McCrea on Twitter @nmccrea213.