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ORDlfWC[ ..~~0~M::80 ~, AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 17 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA (2006) BY AMENDING SECTION 17-1(d) THEREOF PERTAINING TO DANGEROUS BUILDINGS AND BY ADOPTING A NEW SECTION 17-2 PERTAINING TO DERELICT BUILDINGS. BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of Portsmouth: 1. That Chapter 17-1(d) of the Code of the City of Portsmouth be amended to read as follows: Sec. 17-1. Dangerous Buildings. (d) If any owner, agent for the owner, or person in control of such building or structure refuses, fails or neglects to complete improvements or demolish or remove the building, structure or portion thereof in compliance with the notice provided for in subsection (b) of this section, such failure shall constitute a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $2,500.00. Additionally, if the violation remains uncorrected at the time of the conviction, the court shall order the violator to abate or remedy the violation in order to comply with the Code. Unless otherwise provided by the court for good cause shown, any such violator shall abate or remedy the violation within six months of the date of conviction. 2. That Chapter 17 of the Code of the City of Portsmouth be amended by adopting a new Section 17-2 to read as follows: Sec. 17-2. Authority to require removal, repair, etc., of buildings that are declared to be derelict. (a) Any owner of property located in the City of Portsmouth shall at such time or times as the City may prescribe submit a plan to demolish or renovate any building that has been declared a "derelict building." For purposes of this section, "derelict building" shall mean a residential or nonresidential building or structure, whether or not construction has been completed, that might endanger the public's health, safety, or welfare and for a continuous period in excess of six months, it has been (i) vacant, (ii) boarded up in accordance with the building code, and (iii) not lawfully connected to electric service from a utility service provider or not lawfully connected to any required water or sewer service from a utility service provider. (b) If a building qualifies as a derelict building pursuant to this ordinance, the City shall notify the owner of the derelict building that the owners is required to submit to the City a plan, within 90 days, to demolish or renovate the building to address the items that endanger the public's health, safety, or welfare as listed in the written notification provided by the City. Such plan shall be on a form provided by the City and shall include a proposed time within which the plan will be commenced and completed. The plan may include one or more adjacent properties of the owner, whether or not all of such properties may have been declared derelict buildings. The plan shall be subject to