12 - Amendment to the Substandard and Dangerious Building Ordinance and authorizing a Salvage Program - Article 4.03

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Item No. 12 Memorandum TO: Mayor Mayor Pro Tem City Council FROM: Robert G. Vine, City Manager SUBJECT: Amendment to Demolition Ordinance DATE: July 11, 2022 BACKGROUND: The City of Paris has over 100 homes within the city limits on a list to be demolished. This list consists of houses that have burned, partially or completely, houses that pose a health and safety risk and are unsafe structures. -Traditionally when the City demolishes a house or structure, all of the building materials and contents of the structure are placed in a large commercial dumpster and then taken to the landfill. The City pays a "tipping fee" for these large dumpsters with the cost calculated by the ton. The dumpsters with the remnants of the house are emptied into a landfill and eventually covered with more refuse and earth. While the City initially pays for the demolition of a house, the property owner is responsible for the cost and a demolition lien is placed on the property. If the lien is not paid, the city does not recoup the initial expense of the demolition. Reducing the demolition waste from some structures that would otherwise go to landfills can save the city from paying higher landfill tipping fees. Less money spent on landfill tipping fees will allow budgeted funds to demolish more homes throughout the city and speed up the process of creating housing infill. STATUS OF ISSUE: With over 100 homes on the demolition list and a limited amount of funds dedicated for this purpose, the combination of "deconstruction" and traditional demolition is a viable combination to increase the number of structures demolished without increasing the budget for this line item. Deconstruction programs have become popular in larger cities like San Antonio, Pittsburg, and Portland, and staff is proposing a smaller scale program somewhat similar to these larger cities.