Ordinance would deal with vacant buildings in Ironton

Ordinances that would raise city fees will be on the Ironton City Council agenda tonight.

The council will give third reading, and possible approval, of four ordinances.

Ordinance 18-46 would increase the municipal fees by $4 to $18, and the money from that would be used only for flood control.

However, that fee may be dropped and replaced with another ordinance, a flood fee of $4, with the money still earmarked for repair of the city’s flood defense systems ,which is having issues because the system is old and is it increasingly hard to find parts to fix the pump stations if something breaks.

The other items up for approval are Ordinance 18-47, which would increase the monthly water fee by 60 cents to $6.39 per thousand gallons. Ordinance 18-48 would increase the wastewater fee by $1.50 to $9.70 per thousand gallons. Ordinance 18-49 would increase the storm water fee by 80 cents to $3.80 per thousand gallons. The ordinance reads that the increases are needed “in order to continue the water fund on a solvent basis.”

One new ordinance on the agenda is to deal with vacant buildings in the city.

Ordinance 18-55 would add “Vacant Property Registration” to Title Six, “Miscellaneous Building Regulations” of the city ordinances.

The purpose of the ordinance is to create a program for identifying and registering vacant residences and commercial buildings to determine the responsibilities of the owners and to speed up the rehabilitation of the buildings. The ordinance also covers demolition of vacant buildings, fees and exemptions.

In other items on the agenda, there will be a second reading on Ordinance 18-51, which would set prices for septic haulers disposing of waste at the Ironton Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Prices would be set for residential septic haulers at $25 for up to 1,000 gallons, $50 for 1,001-2,000 gallons, $75 for 2,001-300 gallons and $100 for more than 3,000 gallons.

For non-residential haulers, it would be $50 for up to 1,000 gallons, $100 for 1,001-2,000 gallons, $150 for 2,001-300 gallons and $200 for more than 3,000 gallons.

In new items on the agenda, Ordinance 18-54 would authorize the mayor to award contract to Republic Services to dispose of waste from the wastewater treatment plant. The contract was determined by the greatest cost savings to the city and lowest overall cost.

The one-year contract has a fixed rate of $18 per ton of waste disposed.

There will be a Public Utilities Committee meeting at 5 p.m. with a Finance Committee meeting following immediately to discuss the proposed fees. The regular council meeting is at 6 p.m. The meetings will be on the third floor of the City Center.