Overview
- The City Council, which voted unanimously Wednesday, created a registry for properties that rack up ten or more health and safety violations within six months.
- Owners of designated buildings must register with the city within 15 days, receive an initial inspection within 30 days, and face fines up to $2,000 per violation per day if problems persist.
- Mayor John Whitmire’s administration will start with a pilot that lists about a dozen properties out of roughly 4,800 known complexes in the city.
- The rules add a repeat‑offender tag that can be noted in county property records and set up an Apartment Standards Enforcement Committee with city, owner, and tenant representatives.
- The measure, first pushed by former council member Letitia Plummer, was reworked by council members Tiffany Thomas and Martha Castex‑Tatum after delays and pushback, as tenants reported issues like mold, pests, no hot water or AC, and frequent violence.