Galesburg City Council
Galesburg City Council on Monday night easily passed the ordinance that would create a more effective way to penalize properties that are deemed “chronic nuisances.”
Aldermen Bradley Hix of Ward 1 was a driving force behind this measure’s creation.
Under the new rules, a property could be listed as a chronic nuisance under a few criteria. Multiple criminal offenses over a certain time period, if the property is found to lack running water or heat, or there are multiple violations of city rules dealing with trash and debris.
Only offenses going forward will count against properties, not anything that happened prior to Dec. 21.
If a property is declared a “nuisance” they will have to appear before the City’s administrative hearing officer that handles hearings for most types of ordinance violations. The hearing officer could enact a closure on the property or levy significant fines.
The property would also have to register with the city and undergo inspections by city staff.
The ordinance was passed by a unanimous vote from the Council without discussion.
