City Council

(21) 26-1280 PUBLIC WORKS and PLANNING AND LAND USE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES’ REPORT relative to a Citywide Vacant and Public Nuisance Property Abatement Program to identify, prioritize, secure, clean, repair, demolish, or otherwise abate vacant and nuisance properties that pose significant threats to public safety and quality of life, and related matters. Recommendations for Council action, pursuant to Motion (Nazarian - McOsker, et al.): 1. INSTRUCT the Department of Building and Safety (DBS), in coordination with the Department of Public Works, Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Housing Department, City Attorney and the Mayor's Office, to develop and report within 30 days on a Citywide Vacant and Public Nuisance Property Abatement Program to identify, prioritize, secure, clean, repair, demolish, or otherwise abate vacant and nuisance properties that pose significant threats to public safety and quality of life. 2. INSTRUCT the DBS to report within 30 days on the number, location, and status of priority vacant and public nuisance properties citywide, including properties that are vacant, unsecured, abandoned, fire-damaged, substantially deteriorated, littered with trash or debris, or associated with inactive construction, and establish criteria for prioritizing properties based on public safety risk, duration of nuisance conditions, surrounding community impacts, and other appropriate factors. Data should be sorted by Council Districts, and the report should contain protocols and timelines of opening a vacant building abatement case and the steps that follow. 3. INSTRUCT the DBS to report within 30 days on the enforcement and abatement actions available for identified priority properties, including the status of any proceedings before the Board of Building and Safety Commissioners, opportunities to expedite cases presenting significant or ongoing risks to surrounding communities, and recommendations to strengthen coordination among the DBS, the Board, the City Attorney, the Mayor's Office, and Council District Offices. 4. INSTRUCT the DBS, with assistance from the City Administrative Officer (CAO), to identify within 30 days available and potential funding sources, including the Demolition and Repair Fund and the funding contemplated in Council File No. 26-0600-S3, to support the cleanup, securing, repair, demolition, and abatement of priority nuisance properties, and report on available mechanisms to recover eligible costs from responsible property owners, including liens, penalties, and other legally available enforcement tools; and that the DBS report on recommendations for establishing an ongoing, citywide process to proactively identify and address priority vacant and nuisance properties before nuisance conditions become prolonged public safety hazards. Fiscal Impact Statement: Neither the CAO nor the Chief Legislative Analyst has completed a financial analysis of this report.