The City of Oswego Nuisance Abatement Law passed October 2006, includes a "point-system" for delinquent properties based on the offense. The following reports discusses the ongoing enforcement of the law.

New Nuisance Law has Tagged 71 for Violations

Since enacting the Nuisance Abatement Law in the City of Oswego in late October of last year, 71 violations have been handed out to residents thus far by the city police department and Code Enforcement Office. 

More than half of the violations (38) were written by the Code Enforcement Office, dealing with less serious offenses like trash removal, illegal entryways and snow removal. The police department administered 33 violations that concerned more serious crime-related offenses like disorderly conduct, the illegal sale of alcohol, and in some cases, assault and reckless endangerment.

The purpose of the law, which awards points to delinquent properties based on the offense, is to force property owners to keep their properties clean and under control.

Under the current system, properties are awarded six points for a felony, four points for a misdemeanor, three points for a local code violation, and two points for a penal violation. If a certain property receives 12 or more points within a six-month period, or 18 or more points within a 12-month period, its owner will either face a fine or be asked to discontinue use and close the property, decided upon by a city court judge.

No residents have reached that threshold as of yet.

Originally, the point system was much more strict, with a felony receiving eight points and a penal violation three. In late February, city officials decided to lessen the penalties. These changes to the law, however, may have caused some confusion within the enforcing bodies, especially the code enforcement office. A property on West Oneida Street received three points for a “Garbage and/or debris and/or junk” violation (a penal violation) on March 30, although the infraction only garners a two-point penalty. “It’s an error,” said Director of Code Enforcement Neal Smith. “We’ll get that fixed.”

Another property on West Fifth Street may have received an extra point for an “Open to illegal entry” violation, but according to Smith, the violation was caught days before alterations to the point system were made. For those violators who received points during the initial stage of the law, Smith said they will not have points deducted in accordance with the new system. “Anyone who received points on the first go around will receive the points that were affective at the time of action,” he said.

Despite some minor confusion associated with the nuisance abatement point system, things are running smoothly for the bodies that govern the law. After a flux of violations at the law’s inception late last year, and a lull during the winter months, the Oswego City Police Department and the Code Enforcement Office have begun cracking down again. “There’s no question that the volume of complaints rises during the summer months to 10 fold, maybe even 15 fold, than that of the winter months,” said Smith.

Smith said that aside from benefiting the community, the Nuisance Abatement Law “coordinates enforcement activities.” In the past, said Smith, it was harder for an agency to know what had been done at a certain property by another agency. Now all the information is compiled into the law, which, “really draws the strings together,” he said.

Members of the Oswego City Police Department did not return calls Tuesday in regards to the Nuisance Abatement Law.

To view the online article, please click here.

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