Derelict building owners in Winnipeg could face new fees

A city committee wants to get tougher on owners of derelict buildings.

The City of Winnipeg's executive policy committee has proposed additional fees if the property remains vacant for a certain amount of time.

The new fees are a start, says Jean Altemeyer, who is sick of seeing boarded-up buildings in her neighbourhood and around the city.

"They are just these huge black holes that suck our energy out," said Altemeyer.

Her group, Concerned Voters, was initially focused on the Rubin Block — a derelict building on Osborne Street at Morley Avenue which has been boarded up since a 2014 fire.

After further research, they determined the owner of that building owned more properties in equally bad shape, so the group pushed city hall to do something about it.

"What we asked for was that boarded-up properties, even if they are in compliance with bylaws, need to be renovated in a limited time. It feels like the timeline can go on endlessly."

In April, the city's executive policy committee asked the public service to come up with a report on strategies and tactics that could deter derelict building owners from repeatedly ignoring Winnipeg's neighbourhood livability and vacant building bylaws.

On Tuesday, the executive policy committee went over that report and gave its approval to new penalties.

One recommendation under the neighbourhood livability bylaw is adding a one per cent fee on the current assessed value of properties that remain empty after five annual inspections, as well as imposing a $225 inspection fee on non-compliant property owners, beginning after the third inspection.

While the recommendations are a good start, Altemeyer said it's not enough.

"We would like to see it be a firmer step, and frankly we think the city has the tools to do more, it lacks the will to do more," said Altemeyer.

She says her group would like to see the fees go up every time an inspection has to happen and would like to see the city exercise its capacity to expropriate land from derelict owners.

Altemeyer did say the group liked the recommendation that any fees collected could go into affordable housing initiatives, including setting up a not-for-profit corporation to help refurbish and sell derelict buildings.

If approved by council, the new fees would come into effect on Jan. 1.