TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. — The city of Treasure Island is considering stronger code enforcement measures to address unsafe and neglected properties.
Treasure Island’s code compliance supervisor, James Dixon, said the problem grew after hurricanes Helene and Milton. From there, the city saw a rise in abandoned, damaged homes.
“Some of these are just vacation homes or investment properties,” Dixon noted.
According to Dixon, about 78% of homeowners have voluntarily complied with post-storm cleanup and repairs. For those who haven’t, however, daily fines are adding up fast.
“Collectively, I’ve racked up post-storm to over close to half a million dollars in daily fines, and they are $250 a day to $500 a day,” said Dixon.
Dixon also said that the city has been adding pressure, even having quasi-judicial proceedings. But officials believe additional authority is needed to address ongoing safety concerns.
“It will give the city a stronger and clear authority to address these homes and demo if necessary,” Dixon said.
During a May 19 commission meeting, the first reading for two new ordinances was introduced and approved for targeting unsafe structures. The measure will expand the city’s enforcement options.
“After I’ve certified a lien on a property and it’s accumulated daily fines after 90 days, we could serve them the unfit and unsafe structure letter. We can also choose to foreclose on the property. We could also choose to file a civil action lawsuit against the property owner to recover the liens and fines,” Dixon said.
To see the issue firsthand, Sunset Beach homeowner Alex Landeta took Spectrum Bay News 9 through his Sunset Beach neighborhood.
“This was a dilapidated house that was kind of like the one next to it, but this one got fixed,” Landeta said, describing one home. “There’s definitely an underlying problem.”
When it comes to public safety concerns, Dixon explained that dilapidated homes can cause concern.
“We’ve already had a piece of debris strike one of the property owners while he was doing landscaping and injure him,” he shared.
Dixon noted that private property owners have constitutional rights, limiting how quickly the city can intervene.
“So, as property owners, we have to be mindful of the Fourth Amendment rights to unlawful searches and seizures,” Dixon said. “But with our ordinances and this new ordinance, it allows us to notify the property owner, given a specified allotted time and if they don’t come into compliance or there’s no communication, we have no choice but to take care of the issue for the life and safety and protection of the public in the community.”
Walking along 79th Terrace, Landeta pointed out several homes that have seen recent progress.
“The staircases were falling down. They got new staircases. You can see the doors are still missing, but, I mean, he’s working out here every day in the heat, clearing everything out, getting everything fixed,” he added.
Landeta said that he’s seen change in the month of May.
This new ordinance, with recent construction activity, is giving him reassurance.
Landeta added, “I would say ones (homes) that haven’t been touched since the storm in the last two months, at least I can count five just within a few blocks from here, that work has finally started. So yeah, if this interview was in March, I’d be a little more angry. But since I’ve seen progress, I mean, things are eventually… we’ll get there. But this will definitely expedite the process.”
He hopes tougher enforcement could help stalled recovery turn into lasting progress.
A second hearing on the proposed ordinance is scheduled for July 7.
In the meantime, Dixon said the team will continue focusing on properties that pose public safety risks while preparing for the new enforcement process if approved.