City mulls formation of problem property task force

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/10/2023 (751 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A problem properties task force could soon help crack down on neighbourhood blight, such as demolition debris lingering for months on a growing number of Winnipeg properties.

Some city councillors, however, fear such a step will fall short of specific action needed to tackle the issue.

On Friday, council’s property and development committee ordered a report on composing the task force, which is due back in about three months.

“Instead of councillors being dissatisfied and writing motions (to address each specific property concern) we have one focused effort… It is the open door to all of council and, indeed, the whole of the city to focus on problematic properties,” said committee chairwoman Coun. Sherri Rollins.

If council approves the formation of the proposed group, Rollins said council would direct the task force on how best to address problems, including the demolition debris that’s been left for months or sometimes years on a growing number of properties, along with concerns linked to vacant and/or derelict properties and health/safety issues at other buildings.

She stressed this would not just be a name change from the City of Winnipeg’s existing problem property committee, which reports to the chief administrative officer, but a politically led group that will further a “tough-as-nails” approach on neglected buildings.

Rollins said some concerns could also be addressed by a separate proposal, which would seek provincial permission to add city bylaw fines to property tax bills, including some property standard violations, which council’s public works committee will consider Oct. 10.

On Friday, the property and development committee did not approve Coun. Cindy Gilroy’s call to have the city remove demolition debris from sites where owners fail to do so for several months, then charge owners for the work on their property tax bills.

Coun. Markus Chambers’s motion to have city crews complete building repairs that address health, safety and building code concerns when landlords don’t promptly do so was also “received as information.”

Rollins said those motions were not really defeated, as they can still be dealt with by the task force.

However, Gilroy said she fears the task force won’t be enough to tackle the issue of debris-filled lots and the blight they create, stressing the issue warrants immediate action.

“I don’t think it’s fair for residents of the inner city to have this just received as information… We have to make sure that we’re acting on this and holding landlords responsible for their properties. And, if we have to move in (and clean up), that’s the city’s responsibility,” she said.

Gilroy said she’ll continue to push for changes, such as having the city waive landfill fees for owners who promptly remove demolition debris and offer grants that can gradually be paid back to help property owners cover the cost of debris removal.

A city staff report warned having the city do the cleanup could cost the municipal government more than it could recoup through fees, even when it seizes a property with overdue tax bills.

Gilroy argued the potential cost doesn’t justify the city failing to act on the issue.

“We are responsible, as a city, to make sure that we have a livable city. And when we have rubble in the middle of our city, that’s not livable anymore… (Neighbours) can’t even sell their homes. It’s an economic issue for these communities.”

Gilroy noted some properties have been left full of debris for more than a year, including 694 Sherbrook St., after fire ripped through a vacant apartment block Feb. 14, 2022.

“It’s unfair that these properties are sitting like this for so long. I’m seeing more and more properties (like this),” she said.

Council will cast the final vote on the task force Oct. 26.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga