The City Council of Webster City will meet in the council chambers of City Hall, 400 Second Street, Webster City, this evening.

This meeting begins at 6 p.m.

On the agenda is the first reading of a proposed ordinance amending that will focus on the regulation of vacant and abandoned property in the city.

The proposed ordinance would identify “and regulate vacant buildings thus protecting the public’s health, safety, and welfare; to enhance communications between the city and private property owners; to prevent public and private nuisances and potential fire hazards; and to provide for the administration and procedures required to carry out the provisions of the Vacant Building Ordinance contained within Chapter 10 of the Webster City Code of Ordinances,” according to the council packet.

“By establishing a Vacant Building Program, the City of Webster City aims to discourage prolonged vacancy within the community and achieve the following key objectives:

“Protect the health, safety, and welfare of the general public; maintain the built environment to prevent structures from falling into a state of dilapidation; prevent vermin, crime, and blight in both residential and non-residential neighborhoods; promote growth and preserve property values and neighborhoods; stimulate economic development and entrepreneurship.

“While the impact of vacancy and lower tax revenues is easily identified, the full economic impacts of vacancy extend much deeper. The visual cues of vacancies in commercial areas or residential neighborhoods signal to current and prospective businesses and residents or visitors that the community is not thriving and investment is risky.” This meeting will be open to the public and can be viewed live on the City Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/cityofwebstercity/ or viewed on the City of Webster City website

https://webstercity.com/government/city-council/city-council-meetings/ the morning following the meeting.