FACT SHEET: Mayor Stimpson Introduces Legislation to Improve City's Ability to Address Blighted Structures

Nov 29th, 2017

"We continue to fight blight by deploying the right tools to the right structures for faster solutions. Improving the City of Mobile's ability to address blighted structures in a timely and effective manner is one of the critical steps to revitalizing our neighborhoods." - Mayor Stimpson

Background: In 2015, the City began shifting its response to blighted property from reactive to proactive and from purely criminal to civil. These efforts empowered the City to resolve 40 percent more properties, investigate 103 percent more cases and receive 5 percent less citizen complaints. During the 2017 legislative session, the Alabama Legislature passed HB430 enabling the City of Mobile to reduce the time to clear the title on truly abandoned properties from 48 months to 12 months.

Mayoral Action: Mayor Stimpson is introducing legislation, for Mobile City Council consideration, enabling the city to utilize HB430 to drive resolutions for Mobile's neighborhoods. This legislation consolidates decades of fragmented city codes into a single comprehensive chapter addressing real property maintenance and enforcement Adoption of this chapter continues City efforts to create an efficient, effective and equitable code enforcement system laying the foundation for neighborhood revitalization in Mobile. Adoption will among other things:

• Creates the highest level of due process in the State of Alabama.


• Revises and strengthens existing ordinances.


• Clarifies and updates the notice procedure.


• Standardizes weed height at 10 inches.


• Escalates fees for repeat offenders for high weeds and grass.


• Resolves more blighted structures at a faster rate.


• Protects the rights of all owner occupied properties.