The City of Riviera Beach is proposing the adoption of a Chronic Nuisance Ordinance.  The proposed Ordinance will provide an additional tool to address nuisance properties in the City. These nuisance properties over burden the Police Department with excessive Calls for Service and/or have failed to timely correct code violations as ordered by the Special Magistrate.

The purpose of this Ordinance is to obtain voluntary compliance from the property owner through a written action plan to eliminate the nuisance activity at the property.  If compliance does not occur, the City may assess charges for further Police services to the property and take other corrective action at the property, as well as ultimately placing liens on the property and/or the tax rolls.  This process is used by other cities to enhance other processes and adds another tool to encourage good property ownership.  Any/all actions taken will be documented and recorded by the Police Department.

The excessive Calls for Service addressed in this Ordinance include at least thirty three (33) different Statutory or other code violations, including, but not limited to, alcohol, noise, dogs, discharging firearms, prostitution, resisting arrest, house parties, controlled substance and other Felony violations. Once a property reaches the threshold set forth in the Ordinance to be declared a “nuisance”, the process commences with notice to the owner of the issue. The process also commences against those properties failing to comply with an order from the Special Magistrate.

The benefit of this Ordinance is to limit the impact that these nuisance properties have on their neighbors and the community. The City currently does not have a process to address these types of nuisance properties. Again, the goal is to encourage property owners to actively manage, maintain, and invest in their properties.  Staff recommends the approval and implementation of the Chronic Nuisance Property Ordinance.